Nigerian NGOs face shutdown as USAID ends, civil society pushes African-led funding models
African civil society leaders concluded the 'Africa at the Centre' conference in Accra, pushing for African control over development funding as traditional donor aid shrinks. For Nigeria, the impact is immediate: USAID support ended in January 2025 after obligating $930.2 million in 2024 alone, with total commitments of $2.54 billion for humanitarian response and $2.8 billion for health (including HIV/AIDS) between 2020-2024.
Oyebisi Babatunde Oyebisi of Nigeria Network of NGOs warns that dependent nonprofits may shut down by Q2 2027 as reserves deplete, creating service gaps in HIV prevention, clean water, schools and clinics—particularly worsening humanitarian crises in insurgency-affected Borno state. Communities already feel the absence of donor-funded NGOs that governments aren't replacing.
Conference discussions focus on solutions: demanding flexible donor funding, raising domestic African revenue through improved tax systems and blocking illicit flows, and exploring models like a common pool where 'all contribute, all benefit, all decide.' With foreign aid retreating, will Nigerians push for local philanthropy and government accountability to fill the void, or accept reduced services in critical sectors?