Washington has signed a five-year health agreement with Nigeria under which the United States will provide nearly $2.1 billion to combat HIV, tuberculosis, malaria and polio, and support maternal and child health, a State Department spokesperson said.
Nigeria will increase national health spending by almost $3 billion over the same period.
The spokesperson said the deal includes “a strong emphasis on promoting Christian faith-based health care providers.” It follows remarks by Donald Trump, who last month said the US was prepared to take military action to counter the “killing of Christians” in Nigeria and described Christianity as facing an “existential threat.”
Washington has returned Nigeria to a list of countries of “particular concern” on religious freedom and restricted visas. Abuja says it does not tolerate religious persecution, noting an insurgency since 2009 has killed at least 40,000 people. The agreement comes amid Trump’s overhaul of US aid, including closing United States Agency for International Development.