The United States has pledged nearly $2 billion in grant funding to support Nigeria’s health sector over a five-year period from 2026 to 2030, as part of a broader Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between both countries. The development was disclosed in a statement issued by the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation on Friday, December 19, 2025.
The MoU outlines a joint commitment to strengthen Nigeria’s health system, with the US expected to provide close to $2 billion in grants between April 2026 and December 2030 to support Nigeria’s health priorities. In parallel, Nigeria has committed to mobilising about $3 billion in domestic funding for the health sector within the same period.
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According to the statement, the combined funding is aimed at improving access to quality primary healthcare across the country, while strengthening Nigeria’s capacity to prevent, detect, and respond to health threats. Nigeria’s commitment includes allocating at least six percent of executed annual federal and state budgets to health, a move projected to generate nearly $3 billion in domestic health financing. This allocation, the statement noted, has already been reflected in the proposed 2026 budget.
The Federal Government said the partnership underscores Nigeria’s resolve to build a resilient and sustainable health system, reduce long-term dependence on external aid, and ensure consistent investment in healthcare delivery. The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, described the MoU as a significant step toward protecting the health of Nigerians while reinforcing national resilience.
Beyond funding, the agreement provides for collaboration on the early detection, prevention, and control of infectious diseases, including HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis. It also covers efforts to strengthen disease surveillance, outbreak response, laboratory systems, and biosafety procedures for the collection, transport, testing, storage, and disposal of pathogen samples. Additional support is expected for frontline healthcare workers, alongside improvements in health data systems and access to essential medical commodities.
The Ministry noted that the MoU builds on ongoing health sector reforms such as the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative and the Health Sector Renewal Compact signed in December 2023, which bring together federal and state governments, development partners, and civil society to build a more resilient health system.
The agreement comes amid concerns over Nigeria’s healthcare funding gap. Health Minister Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate has previously stated that Nigeria spends about $120 per capita on health, with only around $30 coming from government sources and the remainder paid out-of-pocket, exposing millions of Nigerians to financial vulnerability.
The MoU with the United States is expected to help narrow this gap by boosting funding, strengthening primary healthcare, improving disease prevention and outbreak response, and supporting a more robust health system nationwide.
