Hannah Ajayi and Imole Agunbiade (Lead Writers)
Murmurs about President Donald J. Trump’s intention to discontinue overseas development assistance (ODA) started slowly. While the administration’s policy shift away from multilateralism was not unexpected, given promises made during the campaign, the abruptness of execution caught many off guard, On January 20, 2025, the shockwaves were undeniable, the President of the United States (U.S.), had issued an executive order pulling the U.S out of the World Health Organization (WHO) and subsequently suspending most of its foreign aid support.
In places like Nigeria, where donor funding has long been a fragile lifeline, it felt like the ground itself had shifted. For over 28,000 health workers paid through U.S. support, it was more than a lost income but a question of survival for millions of children in conflict-affected states such as Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa, as well as in other struggling communities. For many vulnerable groups, U.S. funding was not just support. It was the difference between life and death for them.
In the face of this challenge, Nigeria’s Coordinating Minister for Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, has called for a paradigm shift in healthcare, emphasising the need to move away from donor-driven models and instead invest in local capacity, particularly for nutrition.
Nigeria faces a significant nutrition challenge, with the second-highest number of stunted children globally. Despite this, steady progress has been made over the past decade through collaborative efforts, including international partnerships, donor support, and initiatives such as Nigeria Nutrition International and the USAID Advancing Nutrition Project among others.
USAID Advancing Nutrition had previously collaborated with several Feed the Future implementing partners including the Agricultural Extension and Advisory Services Activity, Agribusiness Investment Activity, and Rural Resilience Activity to deliver technical assistance and training in areas such as improved agricultural practices.
However, a seismic shift in the landscape is now threatening to unravel these hard-won gains.
Currently, thousands of children especially in Sokoto and other parts of the northwest region are at risk of starvation as emergency feeding centres have run out of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF). Across the northeast, early warnings predict a devastating surge in severe acute malnutrition among children.
From January to April 2025, public interest in Nigeria’s nutrition situation surged in the country, with the highest concern concentrated in northern states like Yobe, Borno, Zamfara, Adamawa and Sokoto.
A lifeline cut short
The alarming reduction in humanitarian funding poses more than a logistical challenge; it directly impacts the nutritional well-being of millions. The projected slashing of World Food Programme (WFP) rations also represents a catastrophe for families already teetering on the brink of starvation.
As recent analysis grimly predicts, this funding vacuum will leave one million children without adequate nutrition, inevitably skyrocketing malnutrition rates, particularly among Nigeria’s children. Across the wider West and Central Africa Regions, it is also estimated that 52.7 million women, men, and children — representing 20% of the population — will face acute hunger from June to August 2025.
Food distribution networks are also faltering, critical medical support is being compromised, and education programmes, crucial for long-term development, are being curtailed.
Redefining the future:
In this crucial moment, Nigeria must seize the opportunity to chart a new course toward self-reliance.
Strengthening local capacity, investing in homegrown solutions, and fostering public-private partnerships are no longer options but necessities. The government, private sector, and civil society must work hand in hand to create sustainable nutrition programmes, ensure the local production of therapeutic foods, and build resilient systems that protect the nation’s most vulnerable.
This is not just a time for reflection — it is a time for urgent, decisive action to secure Nigeria’s future and ensure that no child is left to die of malnutrition.