Atiku demands full disclosure of Nigeria-US minerals deal, questions Ghana-rejected health agreement
By KEMI KASUMU
“Tinubu should put the documents before Nigerians and answer these questions plainly,” he said.
The presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has called on the Federal Government to publish the full details of the recently signed Nigeria-United States critical minerals framework.
Atiku, in a statement issued by his spokesperson, Phrank Shaibu, raised questions about the agreement and demanded the disclosure of its Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), annexes and other related documents.
Nigeria and the United States recently signed a framework agreement aimed at deepening American investment in Nigeria’s solid minerals sector, including cooperation in geological data and exploration, mineral development and processing, infrastructure and technical capacity. The Federal Government has put the estimated value of Nigeria’s mineral resources at about $700 billion.
The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Jumoke Oduwole, on Tuesday said Nigeria possesses about 26 of the 60 critical minerals the United States is seeking globally. She also clarified that the framework is an MoU and is not legally binding, describing it as an expression of intention between the two countries.
However, Atiku questioned whether the agreement signed by the Tinubu administration contained provisions similar to those reportedly rejected by Ghana in negotiations over a separate US health agreement.
“At this point, Nigerians do not know whether the provisions Ghana rejected are in the agreement Tinubu signed.
“That is precisely why the government must publish the full text. Nigerians should not have to guess what has been agreed in their name,” he said.
He urged the Federal Government to make public the complete MoU, along with related protocols, annexes, data-sharing arrangements, specimen-sharing agreements and financial undertakings.
Atiku also raised questions over the possible sharing of Nigerians’ medical information and pathogen samples, safeguards for patients, the regulatory authority of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), and the financial commitments of the Federal Government and state governments.
“Can Nigerians’ medical information or pathogen samples leave the country? What safeguards protect patients? Does NAFDAC retain full authority to inspect medicines and medical products? What exactly have the Federal Government and the states promised to spend?
“Tinubu should put the documents before Nigerians and answer these questions plainly,” he said.
The development comes amid calls for greater transparency over the Nigeria-US minerals framework, with the Federal Government maintaining that the agreement is intended to attract investment, promote local processing and develop Nigeria’s mineral value chain rather than transfer ownership of the country’s mineral resources.
