Atiku Demands Details of Nigeria-US Health, Mining Deals

 

Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has called on the Federal Government to publish the full details of Nigeria’s agreements with the United States covering health and mining.

Atiku’s demand followed Ghanaian President John Mahama’s disclosure that his country had rejected a proposed US health compact after concerns over medical records, pathogen information, counterpart funding and the inspection of imported medicines. Nigeria signed a five-year health Memorandum of Understanding with the US on December 19, 2025.

According to the Federal Ministry of Health, the agreement covers disease surveillance, outbreak response, laboratory systems, biosafety procedures for pathogen samples and health data systems. The US is expected to provide nearly $2 billion in grants between 2026 and 2030, while Nigeria has committed to increasing domestic health financing, projected by the ministry at nearly $3 billion over the same period.

Atiku urged the government to release the complete agreement, including relevant protocols, annexes, data-sharing arrangements, specimen-sharing agreements and financial undertakings. He questioned whether provisions that reportedly caused concern in Ghana were contained in Nigeria’s agreement and also raised questions about the government’s capacity to meet its domestic financing commitments.

The former Vice President also demanded details of Nigeria’s recently signed framework with the United States to deepen investment in the mining sector. The agreement, signed by Minister of Solid Minerals Development Dele Alake and US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau in New York, is intended to support cooperation in geological exploration, mineral development and processing, infrastructure and technical capacity.

Atiku’s media adviser, Paul Ibe, stressed that the frequently cited $700 billion represents the estimated value of Nigeria’s mineral resources and not money committed by the United States. He sought clarification on the minerals covered by the framework, including lithium, gold and rare earth minerals, as well as possible tax concessions, guarantees, preferential access and requirements for processing minerals in Nigeria before export.

Atiku and his representatives have therefore urged the Federal Government to publish the two agreements and any accompanying documents, including annexes, side letters and implementation arrangements. They said disclosure would enable Nigerians and relevant institutions to examine the terms of agreements involving the country’s healthcare system and mineral resources.