The Trump administration’s freeze on US development aid could hurt the West African country’s efforts to combat malaria and other diseases.
Nigerian lawmakers have approved an additional $200 million (around €190 million) for the health sector, saying the funds would be used to “fill the gap” left by the suspension of US foreign aid.
Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country with around 230 million people, is one of the largest recipients of aid from Washington — funding that has been used to boost efforts to prevent malaria, end HIV and deliver vaccines.
The $200 million is part of Nigeria’s $36.6 billion federal budget passed by lawmakers on Thursday.
Opposition criticizes budget hike
“The recent action by the United States to suspend further intervention in the Nigerian health sector through the provision of vaccines and drugs for malaria, polio, HIV and tuberculosis … will have adverse effects on Nigerians affected by such diseases,” Nigerian appropriations chair in the House of Representatives Kabiru Bichi said, according to Nigerian news site The National Online.
He added that the money would be used to “fill the gap” and help procure vaccines and medical supplies to ensure treatments could continue.
The passage of the 2025 spending plan came after Nigerian President Bola Tinubu raised the budget from an initial $33 billion to $36 billion, a move criticized by opposition politicians who said the increase could worsen the country’s debt and aggravate inflation and poverty.
Why is the US freezing funding?
Hours after taking office last month, US President Donald Trump ordered a 90-day freeze on funding for the US development agency, USAID.
He has also moved to dismantle the agency, close its offices worldwide and lay off staff as part of a push by his administration to curb spending.
Trump has said some funds may be released when the 90-day period ends, but it is unclear which money will be unblocked.
Late Thursday, a federal judge temporarily lifted the funding freeze, saying the government must stop implementing and enforcing “terminations, suspensions, or stop-work orders” in relation to existing contracts.
USAID manages a budget of $42.8 billion and has health and emergency programs in around 120 countries.
According to the US Embassy in Nigeria, Washington invested more than $600 million in health assistance in Nigeria in 2023 alone.
The money was not only used in the health sector. Funds also went toward providing humanitarian assistance such as shelter and sanitation in Nigeria’s northeast, where an insurgency waged by Islamic extremists has displaced hundreds of thousands of people.
Edited by: Alex Berry
DW News
