Christian Faith-Based Care Anchored in Trump-Era $2.1bn US–Nigeria Health Partnership
The Trump administration has announced a major health partnership with Nigeria that places strong emphasis on Christian faith-based healthcare providers as part of a broader effort to strengthen the country’s health system.
The five-year agreement, signed over the weekend, comes amid renewed concerns by former US President Donald Trump over the safety of Christians in Nigeria. In recent weeks, Trump re-designated Nigeria as a “country of particular concern,” citing persistent violations of religious freedom and escalating violence against Christian communities.
A spokesperson for the US State Department confirmed that the deal was negotiated alongside reforms undertaken by the Nigerian government to prioritize the protection of Christian populations and other vulnerable groups affected by insecurity.
Under the agreement, the United States will commit nearly $2.1 billion to expand essential preventive and curative health services across Nigeria. The funding targets key public health challenges including HIV, tuberculosis, malaria, maternal and child health, and polio eradication, with Christian healthcare institutions expected to play a significant role in service delivery.
In a reciprocal commitment, Nigeria will increase its domestic health expenditure by almost $3 billion, marking the largest co-investment made by any nation under the America First Global Health Strategy. US officials described the investment as a model for shared responsibility and sustainable health system reform.
Last month, Trump stunned many by posting on social media that the United States was ready to take military action in Nigeria to counter the killing of Christians.
The US leader has said Christianity faces an “existential threat” in Nigeria and “numerous other countries, spotlighting what his administration says is global persecution of Christians.
Nigeria currently ranks seventh on the Open Doors World Watch List, which tracks countries where Christians face the most severe persecution, underscoring the geopolitical and humanitarian context surrounding the agreement.
