The Trump administration has announced that a deal to support Nigeria’s health system will have a “strong emphasis on Christian faith-based healthcare providers”.
President Trump has said in recent weeks that Christianity in Nigeria faces an existential threat and he has re-designated it as a “country of particular concern” over its religious freedom violations.
A US State Department spokesperson said the five-year deal which was signed this weekend, was negotiated in connection with reforms the Nigerian government has made to prioritise protecting Christian populations from violence.
The spokesperson added that the deal will see the US commit to “nearly $2.1 billion to expand essential preventative and curative services for HIV, TB, malaria, maternal and child health and polio.”
Under the terms of the deal, Nigeria will increase its domestic health expenditures by nearly $3 billion, making it the largest co-investment any country has made to date under the America First Global Health Strategy.
Nigeria is currently number seven on the Open Doors list of countries where Christians face the most persecution.