Many Nigerians are calling for explanation on how US foreign aid in the country, especially in healthcare, has been utilized.
Many are calling for a thorough probe, as the country’s healthcare system is not meeting expectations despite huge funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
According to the United States Foreign Assistance Dashboard, USAID gave Nigeria $2.8 billion between 2022 and 2024. This funding is part of the broader US foreign assistance programmes and is now under the microscope as critics question its impact, especially on Nigeria’s perennial healthcare challenges.
USAID’s funding mechanism has been a subject of controversy in the past.
Before Donald Trump’s re-election bid, the agency was accused of poor oversight and critics said lapses in monitoring may have led to resource misallocation.
In 2024, USAID was accused of funding organisations with links to terrorist groups. This sparked renewed criticism of the agency’s vetting process.
The controversy deepened in early 2025 when Trump returned to office and issued an executive order, suspending all US foreign aid for 90 days, citing misalignment with American interests and global destabilization.
Thousands of USAID staff were furloughed and many overseas employees were recalled to the US.
How Much Has Nigeria Got?
Financial Aid data shows that USAID disbursed $41 billion in 2024 to 206 countries, with Nigeria getting $780 million.
In 2023, Nigeria got $1 billion and in 2022, $970 million.
Over the three-year period, total US aid to Nigeria was $2.75 billion.
Breakdown of the funds: $1.469 billion went to healthcare initiatives. Other sectors that got funding include humanitarian services ($887 million), economic development ($141.77 million), education ($41.75 million), peace and security ($16.39 million).
Democracy, governance and programme support got additional funding.
Despite all this money, Nigerians are asking for the impact on their healthcare system.
Several have taken to social media to express their anger, pointing to underfunded hospitals, collapsing infrastructure and ongoing power crisis in federal teaching hospitals.
One user @Wizarab10 shared a 2017 USAID Inspector General report that exposed mismanagement of HIV/AIDS funds.
“Nigeria has received over $5 billion in USAID funding and has seen no development. The HIV/AIDS Program Scandal showed how millions of dollars were wasted due to mismanagement,” he wrote.
Dr. Ugonna Kelechi @Ugo_KelechiPhD also queried the effectiveness of USAID funding. He noted that Nigeria received $824 million in 2023 and yet we are still food insecurity, people scavenging for food from dustbins.
“Where did the money go?” he asked.
Another user @ObiaraeriNnaemeka asked for transparency on how USAID funds are dispersed. “I wish @elonmusk and DOGE would release the names of the recipients of the USAID $7.8 billion inflow to Nigeria between 2014 and 2023. We need to know the NGOs and agencies that benefited,” he asked.
Accountability
The growing calls for transparency reflects the frustration with no visible impact in Nigeria’s healthcare and other critical sectors despite the huge foreign assistance.
As USAID is under the spotlight, both Nigerian authorities and international stakeholders may be forced to ensure aid funds are utilized and mechanisms for accountability are strengthened.
As we continue to investigate these concerns, the question remains: Has US foreign aid really helped Nigeria’s healthcare system or has mismanagement killed its impact?