Nigerian MPs have approved an additional $ 200 million (about € 190 million) for the health sector, stating that the fund will be used to “fill the difference” left by the suspension of American foreign aid.
Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country with around 230 million people, is one of the largest recipients of assisting from Washington – funding that has been used to promote malaria, abolish and give HIV.
The $ 200 million is part of the $ 36.6 billion federal budget of Nigeria which is passed by MPs on Thursday.
Opposition criticized budget growth
“The United States has recently taken action to suspend more interference in the Nigerian health sector through the provision of vaccines and medicines for malaria, polio, HIV and tuberculosis. It will be adversely affected, “Nigerian Appropriation Cursor House of Representative Kabiru said, according to the Nigerian news site National Online.
He said that money will be used to “fill the difference” and will help in purchasing vaccines and medical supply to continue treatment.
After passing the plan to spend 2025, Nigerian President said that Tinubu reduced the budget from $ 33 billion to $ 36 billion, criticized by opposition politicians, who said that growth can increase the country’s debt and inflation and poverty. Is.
Why is there US freezing funding?
Hours after assuming the post last month, US President Donald Trump ordered a 90-day freeze on fines for the US Development Agency, USA.
Hey, he went to end the agency, closed its offices worldwide and closed the staff as part of a push by his administration to curb the expense.
Trump has said that some can be released at the end of the 90-day period, but it is not clear which money will be opened.
Late on Thursday, a federal judge temporarily removed the fining freeze, stating that the government should stop implementing and implementing and implementing “expiry, suspension, or stopping orders” in relation to the existing contracts.
Usaid manages $ 42.8 billion in around 120 countries and budget for hash and emergency programs.
According to the US Embassy in Nigeria, Washington alone invested over $ 600 million in health aid in Nigeria in 2023 alone.
Money was not only used in the health sector. The northeast of Nigeria moved towards providing humanitarian aid discovery in the form of shelters and hygiene, where a extremism emanated by Islamic extremists has displaced hundreds of thousands of people.
Edited by: Alex Berry
