The federal authorities has introduced plans to invest an extra $3 billion in Nigeria’s health sector by 2030 as a part of efforts to scale back dependence on international help and strengthen home health financing.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Pate, stated this on Monday in Abuja at a media convention asserting the fifth Global High-Level Ministerial Conference on AMR, scheduled for six -8 December, 2026.
Mr Pate stated the convention, the primary to be hosted on African soil, would deal with translating world commitments into sensible actions with the theme, “One Health: Advancing Global AMR Commitment through Local Action”.
He was responding to questions on the health Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Nigeria and the United States.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) stories that Nigeria and the United States signed a five-year bilateral health MoU on 19 December 2025, beneath the US America First Global Health Strategy.
Mr Pate stated the deliberate funding was a part of a transition association beneath which each international locations would work in direction of Nigeria absolutely financing its health sector by 2030.
“From now until 2030, the expectation is that the federal government will put in $3 billion into health, which is more than what the US government will contribute as it ramps down its contribution,” he stated.
He stated the association mirrored Nigeria’s place that long-term dependence on exterior help was not within the nation’s nationwide curiosity.
“Our position is that dependency in the long run is not in our national interest on external support,” he stated.
“We articulated that we want Nigeria to exit from dependency from other entities over time.”
Health financing
Mr Pate acknowledged that reaching self-sustaining health financing would require elevated home funding, noting that Nigeria was not but ready to absolutely fund its health sector.
He stated 15 Nigerian authorities establishments, together with the ministries of Foreign Affairs, Finance, and Health and Social Welfare, participated in articulating Nigeria’s place throughout negotiations with the United States.
According to him, the US had supported health programmes in Nigeria for about 25 years, together with interventions for HIV, tuberculosis and malaria, benefiting tens of millions of Nigerians.
However, following a shift in US authorities coverage in 2025, Nigeria determined to assume larger duty for financing its health programmes.
“How do we own it responsibly? So, with the US government, we agreed that we will have a transition. By 2030, they exit and we exit. That means we fully fund our health sector,” he stated.
Mr Pate stated President Bola Tinubu had elevated home health allocations, together with offering six per cent of the federal government funds for health, as a part of efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s contribution.
He emphasised that sustainable financing would require all three tiers of presidency to enhance spending on residents’ health.
Mr Pate stated the transition was supposed to strengthen Nigeria’s possession of health programmes and scale back reliance on funding choices made by different international locations.
“We cannot rely on somebody else’s taxpayers funding for the health of Nigerians,” he stated.
On issues surrounding the MoU, Mr Pate described it as a non-binding framework for cooperation, anchored on Nigeria’s nationwide insurance policies and legal guidelines.
“The MoU that was signed with the US authorities is a non-binding MoU. It is anchored on Nigerian coverage, nationwide insurance policies and legal guidelines, doesn’t subvert our sovereignty or subvert US authorities sovereignty over their assets.
“It’s also one that either party can walk away at any time,” he stated.
Mr Pate stated the Attorney-General of the Federation had additionally confirmed that the settlement contained nothing that subverted Nigeria’s nationwide curiosity.
He added that the MoU was publicly out there and events may request a replica from the ministry via the Freedom of Information course of.
READ ALSO: Nigeria is building a sustainable health financing future, By Muhammad Ali Pate
The minister stated the settlement aligned with the federal government’s Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative, which prioritises improved governance, stronger main healthcare, expanded health insurance coverage protection, home manufacturing and elevated health safety.
He stated the cooperation would help public health and laboratory capability, together with the detection of antimicrobial resistance, whereas selling native capability to produce important health commodities.
Mr Pate stated strengthening home manufacturing and making certain native markets may provide important medicines, together with antimicrobials, had been essential steps in direction of decreasing exterior dependence.
He stated the transition would require sustained efforts and home funding to guarantee Nigeria may finance its health priorities as exterior contributions declined.
Mr Pate urged Nigerians to look at the settlement and its provisions, saying the federal government’s goal was to strengthen nationwide possession of health financing and repair supply.
(NAN)
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