The United States Department of State is seeking project proposals for what could become one of its biggest health transformation efforts in Africa’s most populous country, offering up to $200 million in funding to support Nigeria’s move toward a more self-reliant health system over the next five years.
The funding opportunity, announced by the Bureau of Global Health Security and Diplomacy (GHSD), is part of the implementation of a Health Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed between the U.S. government and the Federal Republic of Nigeria in December 2025. The initiative, according to a document seen by BusinessDay, is expected to run through 2030 and could result in up to 20 awards, subject to funding availability.
Rather than financing individual disease programs in isolation, the U.S. wants organisations to propose projects that strengthen Nigeria’s health system as a whole while gradually transferring responsibility to Nigerian institutions.
The approach aligns with the U.S. America First Global Health Strategy, which emphasises reducing long-term dependence on donor-funded programs and strengthening national health systems.
Donor dependence out of the window
