USAID Shutdown: Man Shares How Suspension of Aid Agency By Trump Would Affect Nigeria and Africa
- A man has said the shutdown of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) would negatively affect Africa
- According to the man, USAID has helped save millions of lives through its interventionist programs in many countries
- President Donald Trump, through the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency, (DOGE) froze funding for USAID
A man has listed how Africa could be negatively affected after the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) shutdown.
In a post on X, the man, Georgie, said many essential services in Africa depend on USAID.
Source: UGC
Georgie's reaction came after USAID announced through its website that staff should stay out of offices.
The aid agency wrote:
"On Friday, February 7, 2025, at 11:59 pm (EST) all USAID direct hire personnel will be placed on administrative leave globally, with the exception of designated personnel responsible for mission-critical functions, core leadership and specially designated programs. Essential personnel expected to continue working will be informed by Agency leadership by Thursday, February 6, at 3:00pm (EST)."
USAID shutdown and job loss
In his reaction, Georgie noted that this would lead to job losses as there are going to be layoffs.
He said the lay-offs would affect the provision of essential healthcare services funded by USAID.
He wrote on X:
"The "stop-work" orders impact services beyond PEPFAR, to comprehensive healthcare - cervical cancer screenings and maternal care. Thousands of healthcare workers funded by USAID are being informed to stop work, leading to layoffs and the loss of crucial health services."
USAID's agreement with AfDB
According to the man, USAID's shutdown will also affect some agreements it has already signed with other partners.
He said:
"USAID recently signed a $600 million agreement with the African Development Bank to boost development in the Sahel, focusing on governance, resilient agriculture, and health. Countries in the Sahel already face a climate change and humanitarian needs challenge. This is a blow."
How USAID's shutdown affects other areas in Africa
Georgie noted that another area that would be impacted is agriculture. He said USAID recently announced a $440,480 investment in dried-fruit production to create jobs in Ghana, which would effectively be on hold.
However, Georgie said he hoped the pull of USAID would not shut down the continent's essential services.
He added:
"The support from USAID, like other initiatives has been deep - helped save many lives & create many jobs. Both for the continent and USAID staff and consultants. BUT, for Africa's future, we need to sit down and assess our reliance on external support. And since we already know investment into Africa has a bit more exaggerated risk than usual, let's work on ourselves, continue to make progress on economic and political reforms, and hope that one investment partner pulling out doesn't bring countries to a standstill."
USAID was established in 1961 by then-President John F. Kennedy and is one of the largest aid agencies in the world.
The Associated Press reports that President Trump said the aid agency should have been shut down a long time ago.
See George's post below:
Lady laments withdrawal of funding for HIV treatment
In a related story, Legit.ng reported that a lady who says she is living with HIV has reacted after US President Donald Trump's government halted the distribution of free medication.
The lady, who said she is 21 years old, noted that gains in fighting the disease could be lost if poor countries did not have access to cheap ARVs.
In a series of videos on her TikTok handle, the lady showed people her routine as an HIV-positive patient who maintains a happy disposition to live.
Proofreading by Nkem Ikeke, journalist and copy editor at Legit.ng.
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Source: Legit.ng
