ADC Queries U.S.–Nigeria Health Pact, Alleges Constitutional Risks

 

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has asked the Federal Government to provide full disclosure on the recently signed health cooperation Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Nigeria and the United States, warning that conflicting descriptions of the pact raise issues of constitutional breach and threat to national sovereignty.

In a statement issued on Sunday by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the opposition party said Abuja’s presentation of the agreement as an inclusive health-security framework sharply contradicts the version released by the United States Embassy, which reportedly introduced identity-based conditions for the disbursement of funds.

The ADC expressed concern that the American framing suggested that spending under the MoU would prioritise health institutions backed by a particular religion, a position it said offends Nigeria’s constitutional provisions on non-discrimination.

“We find it particularly curious that these troubling conditionalities, including those that grant the United States unilateral powers of termination, are conspicuously missing from the Federal Government’s public rendering of the agreement,” the party said.

According to the statement, the divergence between Abuja and Washington’s accounts “is not a mere communications issue” but appears designed to avoid public scrutiny.

The party cited Section 42(1) of the 1999 Constitution which prohibits discrimination on the grounds of religion, ethnicity or place of origin, adding that Sections 15 and 17 mandate the state to promote national integration and equality of rights.

The ADC noted that under the arrangement, the United States is expected to provide about $2 billion in grant support over five years, while Nigeria has reportedly committed nearly $3 billion in domestic financing.

“It is difficult to justify an arrangement in which Nigeria bears the larger financial burden, yet decisions regarding target beneficiaries and the discretion to pause or terminate cooperation appear to rest outside the country,” the party stated.

The opposition party insisted that healthcare must remain neutral and universally accessible, warning that injecting identity considerations into health financing could politicise service delivery and undermine public trust.

It demanded immediate publication of the full text of the MoU, including annexes, and a clear explanation of how the agreement aligns with the Constitution and protects Nigeria’s sovereign authority.

The ADC, however, reaffirmed its support for foreign assistance to strengthen the health sector, stressing that such partnerships must respect Nigeria’s diversity and legal framework.