Atiku urges Tinubu to publish $700m US-Nigeria minerals deal amid Ghana concerns
Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, demanded on September 29 that President Bola Tinubu's government publish the full details of the recently announced $700-million minerals deal with the United States. Speaking through his spokesperson Phrank Shaibu, Atiku questioned whether the agreement Tinubu signed is the same one that Ghana's President John Mahama rejected over undisclosed concerns. He argued that Nigerians cannot know what has been agreed in their name without seeing the Memorandum of Understanding, all related protocols, annexes, data-sharing and specimen-sharing arrangements, and financial undertakings.
Atiku raised specific worries: could Nigerians' medical information or pathogen samples leave the country? Who would access them? What safeguards protect patients? Does NAFDAC retain full authority to inspect medicines and medical products? What exactly have the federal and state governments promised to spend? He urged Tinubu to place the documents before the public and answer these questions plainly.
The deal comes amid assertions by Industry Minister Jumoke Oduwole that Nigeria possesses the minerals the US seeks, dismissing claims of secrecy. Yet the lack of transparency fuels concerns about sovereignty, resource governance, and potential risks to public health and fiscal commitments.
Will you demand the government release the full agreement so you can assess its impact on Nigeria's resources and your own safety, or will you accept the deal as presented without scrutiny?