Key stakeholders in Northern-Eastern states in Nigeria have said that the withdrawal of USAID’s humanitarian aid to Nigeria will disrupt the delivery of essential service to their states.
The stakeholders, mostly in Yobe, Borno and Adamawa states, made their views known while responding to a survey on the development.
The President Donald Trump’s administration has reviewed the United States’ foreign policies one of which is a halt in the powerful country’s assistance to other nations.
To effect this stance, the government has stopped funding international aid projects.
Most of this support is usually channelled through USAID, with crises-ridden states in Nigeria’s north-eastern as major beneficiaries.
With the withdrawal of the support, Dr Jalo Muhammed, the Director of Rescue Operations at the Yobe State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), says it may not be possible for the agency to carry out its functions effectively.
“I can’t say how much the USAID has expended over time, but its support has been very valuable. We can’t even quantify it,” he said.
He said that the U.S. “stop work order” had significantly disrupted the delivery of critical humanitarian services in Yobe.
“The suspension of funding has affected various sectors, including health, education, water, sanitation, hygiene, protection, nutrition, food security and livelihoods.
“Vulnerable populations such as children, women, Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), Persons With Disabilities (PWDs), and flood-affected communities have been left without essential support,” Muhammed said.
He listed service providers to include Federation of Muslim Women’s Association in Nigeria (FOMWAN), Hope for Street Children and Vulnerable People, Wadata Relief Care Initiative (WRCI) and Opportunity To Learn (OTL) Consortium, Plan International.
Other service providers include the Children International, World Food Programme (WFP), and the World Health Organisation (WHO).
These bodies provide humanitarian services in at least 17 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Yobe.
Muhammed said the affected organisations, which have been providing life-saving services in hundreds of communities, had either halted their operations or continued to function under constrained waivers.
The director said that the funding withdrawal had disrupted services for more than 200,000 individuals, particularly children, women, and other vulnerable groups.
He also listed polio eradication, HIV treatment, nutrition, gender-based violence (GBV) response, education, and food security among the humanitarian programmes severely affected by the withdrawal of USAID aid programmes.
Muhammed said that more than 13,200 out-of-school children, who are part of educational reintegration programmes, are facing uncertain future, while 13,308 orphans and vulnerable children, including those living with HIV, have lost access to vital healthcare services.
The director said that more than 65,000 food-insecure individuals, who were expecting assistance from the WFP, are facing a prolonged crisis.
“In addition, more than 1,900 humanitarian workers, including teachers, case managers, nutrition supervisors and community mobilisers, have either lost their jobs or are working under restricted conditions,” he added.
He said education programmes had also suffered setbacks.
“The OTL Consortium, which was working to integrate 13,200 out-of-school children into formal education, has been forced to halt its efforts.
“Community-based learning initiatives in Potiskum and support for children with disabilities have been suspended, increasing the risk of child labour and exploitation,” Muhammed said.
The director said that water, sanitation and hygiene projects meant to assist flood-affected households had been put on hold, exposing communities to waterborne diseases.
He said that protection programmes such as GBV survivors with the Women and Girls’ Safe Spaces, which provided support to 127 GBV survivors, including rape victims, had been shut down in many LGAs.
“Also disrupted is the food security and agricultural initiatives with the postponement of World Food Programme’s plan to assist 65,463 individuals across six LGAs,” he said.
The director said that farming programmes meant to support 900 local farmers have also been affected, thereby increasing economic hardship for rural communities.
Dr Lawan Cheri, Dean of the School of Management Sciences, Federal Polytechnic Damaturu, who acknowledged the challenges posed by the withdrawal of USAID’s support, said Nigeria should see it as an opportunity to become self-reliant.
Cheri, also the Head of the Public Administration Department, insisted that Nigeria must prioritise funding for critical sectors such as health, education and emergency response.
The don said that the country had the financial resources to sustain those services but must focus on better budgetary allocation and transparency in managing available funds.
Cheri said that addressing the root causes of insurgency, poverty, illiteracy, and marginalisation of rural areas, could reduce dependencies on foreign aid.
He said that skill acquisition programmes would also help young men and women transition to sustainable livelihoods.
Without such interventions, Cheri said, the abrupt loss of aid could push many into crime or other desperate situations.
The don also highlighted the importance of preparing NGOs for an eventual exit strategy.
He argued that communities that had been relying on humanitarian assistance must prepare for gradual transition to self-sufficiency through proper planning and economic empowerment initiatives.
The don warned that without a well-structured phase-out plan, the sudden cut in aid could create economic and social instability, particularly for young people who had grown up dependent on such services.
Cheri also stressed the need for Nigeria to rethink its approach to humanitarian and social services.
He said that the increased government investment, effective policy implementation, and greater transparency in fund management could help mitigate the impact of USAID’s withdrawal and ensure sustainable development in the affected regions.
Meanwhile, some of the stakeholders in Adamawa have advised that the state government should try and sustain various projects implemented by USAID to enhance the state’s development.
Rev. Shafa Salma, Secretary-General of the Basic Education Coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), highlighted the positive impact of USAID projects in fostering collaboration between Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), CSOs, and local communities.
Salma said that such efforts had promoted transparency and accountability, which are crucial for good governance.
“We urge the government to sustain USAID projects as they enhance credibility, boost internally generated revenue (IGR), improve economic development, and attract international investors and donors to the state.
“We appeal that the government, no matter how much it will cost, continue to sustain the ongoing projects for the development of the state,” he said.
Salma said that accountability was also essential to encourage investment, noting that “no one wants to invest in an environment where accountability is lacking”.
Mr. Musa Shalangwa, a lecturer in the Department of International Relations and Strategic Studies, Adamawa State Polytechnic, said that USAID’s interventions had significantly impacted various sectors, including Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), education, and healthcare.
The don said that USAID had strengthened the capacity of government officials, CSOs, and community leaders while promoting women’s inclusion in governance.
Shalangwa urged the state government to build on the foundations laid by USAID to further improve the quality of life for residents.
According to him, USAID’s initiatives have increased citizens participation in the budget process and enhanced revenue generation mechanisms in the state.
Meanwhile, the Borno government has assured residents that the withdrawal of USAID funding would not significantly disrupt essential service delivery in the state.
Though some humanitarian groups and affected beneficiaries have expressed concern over the worsening condition of the people in conflict communities, Dr Babagana Mallumbe, the state Commissioner for Budget and Planning, see it as positive.
He stated the state government’s position on the issue while reacting to the development during the 2025 budget breakdown recently.
“The state government has been proactive in ensuring that key humanitarian and development services continue despite USAID’s funding withdrawal,” Mallumbe said.
He said that many international grants, including those from UNICEF and the World Bank, required counterpart funding from the state, which meant that the government had been co-financing various programmes.
“For instance, if an organisation like UNICEF donates $100,000, we also contribute $100,000.
“If they don’t provide funding, we don’t either. This model ensures sustainability, and we are actively seeking new partners to fill any funding gaps,” Wakilbe added.
However, Mr. Ibrahim Balarabe, an aid worker, warned that the withdrawal could severely impact thousands of vulnerable people across health, education, and food security sectors in the North-East.
Balarabe said that USAID funding was instrumental in providing food assistance to IDPs, supporting malnutrition treatment centres, and financing safe drinking water projects.
“In some camps, food rations have already been reduced, and we are beginning to see signs of increased malnutrition, especially among children and nursing mothers,” he said.
Displaced persons in various camps across Borno have also expressed fear and frustration over the withdrawal of USAID support which has been a critical source of relief since the insurgency displaced millions.
Malam Ibrahim Musa, who has been living in Muna Garage IDP camp for over five years, said the withdrawal was already affecting their food supply.
“Before, we used to receive food distributions every month. Now, we are told that supplies will be delayed, and some households have not received food in weeks,” Musa said.
According to him, families have resorted to skipping meals, while others send their children to beg on the streets of Maiduguri metropolis.
“This is not the future we wanted. We depend on these aid programmes because there is still no security to return to our villages,” he added.
Fatima Ali, a local entrepreneur in Maiduguri, however, sees the withdrawal as an opportunity for Nigerians to find homegrown solutions.
“It is time for us to come together as a community and create our own solutions. We cannot rely on foreign aid forever,” she said.
“While the government remains optimistic about mitigating the impact of the withdrawal, the reality on the ground suggests that humanitarian needs in Borno remain high,” security analyst, Kachallah Ibrahim, who also reacted, said.
Ibrahim warned that reduced funding for counterterrorism initiatives could impact the fight against Boko Haram and ISWAP insurgents.
He said that the state government has called on local and international partners to step in and provide alternative funding to sustain critical humanitarian services.
The humanitarian organisations and residents affected by the withdrawal of USAID’s $736 million funding in Nigeria say the situation is already taking a toll, particularly in insurgency-affected areas of Borno.
The humanitarian sector in Borno had been heavily reliant on international aid, especially for food distribution, healthcare, and security interventions.
The USAID funds supported programmes in IDP camps, healthcare centres, and counterterrorism initiatives.
