FOLLOWING the recent suspension of development assistance by the new United States administration under President Donald Trump, Senator Adamu Garba, who represented Yobe South, has said scrapping the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) spells good news for Africa.
In lieu of foreign aid, the Federal Executive Council (FEC), yesterday, approved N4.8 billion funding package to sustain HIV treatment programmes across the country.
This was disclosed by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Pate, after the resumed FEC meeting presided over by President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
USAID employees are being placed on administrative leave, while the agency’s chief of staff had long resigned. An internal email obtained yesterday stated that employees normally assigned to the USAID headquarters would work remotely except for those with essential on-site duties.
Elon Musk has been vocal about his stance on USAID, calling it “a criminal organisation” on social media. Speaking on the proposed dismantling of the U.S. agency, Garba said: “This is one of the very good pieces of news for Africa because USAID is a weapon of unconventional warfare that is being conducted by the United States Special Operations Forces for an unconventional method of psychological manipulation and to support insurgency and irregular warfare against Africans.
“If the dismantling and scrapping of USAID is completed, you will see almost peace and security in Africa. All these banditry, killing and destruction, the weapons they get to carry out these operations will dry up.”
PATE revealed at the post-FEC media briefing that the approved funds would cover the procurement of 150,000 treatment packs for HIV patients over the next four months.
This, he explained, reflects the government’s commitment to safeguarding the health of vulnerable populations, even as Nigeria begins to navigate the challenges posed by shifting international support.
He stated: “The Presidential Treatment Programme for HIV Patients has been approved, with N4.8 billion allocated for procuring 150,000 treatment packs over four months.
“This is an important signal that the Federal Government is committed to ensuring that life-saving treatments remain accessible, despite the changing dynamics in external support.”
According to Pate, even before the U.S. government’s aid suspension, as Nigeria continued to receive support from international partners in the fight against HIV, tuberculosis (TB) and malaria, the government decided to take more responsibility by investing domestic resources into critical health programmes.
The minister also addressed concerns regarding the potential impact of the U.S. government’s suspension of aid, which historically supported Nigeria’s healthcare sector, particularly in the fight against HIV, TB and malaria.
Pate acknowledged the significant contributions made by the U.S. over the past two decades but stressed that “Nigeria is preparing to reduce its reliance on foreign aid.”
To this end, the FEC has established a high-level committee to develop a transition and sustainability plan. The committee will include representatives from the Ministries of Finance, Defence, Health, Environment, Budget and National Planning, as well as the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF).
“The council agreed on the formation of a committee to oversee the transition and sustainability plan, especially as the U.S. government conducts its 90-day review of aid policies,” Pate explained. “We are optimistic about finding pathways that will allow Nigeria to seamlessly adjust to these changes while strengthening our healthcare system.”