The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has called on the Federal Government to publicly clarify and disclose the full contents of a newly signed health cooperation Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Nigeria and the United States, amid concerns about conflicting official descriptions that may signal a constitutional breach. The demand follows sharply divergent accounts by Nigerian and U.S. officials regarding the terms of the nearly five-year bilateral health deal, which seeks to strengthen Nigeria’s healthcare system through expanded preventive and curative services.
According to the ADC, while the Nigerian government has presented the MoU as a technical and inclusive framework to build health security and expand primary healthcare, public statements from U.S. authorities appear to introduce identity-based elements that were absent from Abuja’s account. The party alleges that the U.S. description suggests funding could be targeted at health institutions linked to a specific religion, and that provisions granting the United States unilateral discretion to pause or terminate programmes raise questions about national sovereignty, concerns the ADC says could violate Nigeria’s constitutional commitments to non-discrimination and national unity.
In a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC emphasised that any agreement involving public service provision must be neutral, inclusive and compliant with constitutional provisions such as Section 42(1), which prohibits discrimination on grounds including religion or political opinion. The party also cited Sections 15 and 17, which impose a duty on the state to promote national integration and equality of rights and opportunities for all citizens.
The ADC reiterated its support for foreign assistance and bilateral cooperation aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s health system but insisted that such partnerships must respect the nation’s diversity and constitutional principles. The party urged the federal government to publish the full signed MoU, including annexes, and to explain whether the identity-based and discretionary termination elements referenced by the United States form part of the agreement Nigeria actually signed or arise merely from foreign policy interpretations.
