Nigeria,12 African Countries to Benefit from US$93 Million Food Aid

The US government recently announced that it will disburse $93 million under its US food aid scheme. According to the US government, the countries set to benefit from the aid are Nigeria, Mali, Ethiopia, Niger, Sudan, South Sudan, Haiti, Madagascar, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Kenya, and Chad. The aid seeks to provide ready-to-use therapeutic food, RUTF, produced by Americans to save the lives of 1 million children battling malnutrition and will be managed by UNICEF.

At a press briefing, Tommy Pigott, Principal Deputy Spokesperson for the US State Department, said the assistance will also cover essential food commodities, targeted nutritional support, and emergency logistics. Tommy Pigott further accorded accolades to the Trump administration for “delivering results and real wins for the American people” within 200 days, adding that it is “restoring strength, securing prosperity, and standing up for American interests on the world stage.”

This announcement comes after the Trump administration shut down the US Agency for International Development (USAID), the foremost aid organisation, in a bid to cut down government spending and divert the funds towards addressing domestic issues under Trump’s “America First” policy, a move widely criticised by former US leaders and global health experts.

For Nigeria, the aid could help cushion the impact of the rising malnutrition rates.  Just last month, the World Food Programme (WFP) warned that it would be forced to suspend operations in the Northeastern region of the country due to a lack of funds. The expected shutdown of its operations is estimated to leave over 1.3 million Nigerians and more than 300,000 children at risk of a hunger crisis. Such a gap in food assistance would not only deepen the humanitarian crisis but also risk fuelling insecurity in a region where food has already become a weaponised commodity.

Ranking seventh among the top 10 recipients of US foreign aid in 2024 and receiving approximately $763 million through USAID, there is a stark indication of the country’s over-dependence on aid. The laxity in providing basic amenities is reflected in the key areas the aid focused on, which are: Public Health and Humanitarian Support, Security and Counterterrorism, Economic Development and Governance, and Food and Emergency Relief. 

Since the initial 90-day pause on USAID, the Nigerian government has taken steps to raise domestic and alternative revenue to serve as a backbone for its institutions.  In February 2025, Nigeria’s lawmakers approved $200 million in addition to $36.6 billion for the federal budget to “fill the gap” left by the agency’s suspension.