The US government is set to investigate how past aid allocated to Nigeria and other countries has been utilised.
This follows US President Donald Trump’s January 20, 2025, decision to suspend all foreign aid for 90 days, citing concerns about global destabilisation and misalignment with American interests.
The move responds to growing calls for a comprehensive review of US Agency for International Development (USAID) health funds.
US Congressman, Scott Perry, had claimed that USAID funded terrorist organisations, including Boko Haram.
Perry, a Republican representing Pennsylvania, made the claim during the inaugural hearing of the Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency last Thursday.
Boko Haram, officially known as Jamā’at Ahl as-Sunnah lid-Da’wah wa’l-Jihād, is a self-proclaimed jihadist terrorist organisation based in northeastern Nigeria and also active in Chad, Niger, northern Cameroon, and Mali.
The group has been causing havoc in Northeast Nigeria for over 15 years, killing tens of thousands of people, in frequent attacks against the police, armed forces and civilians.
“Who gets some of that money? Does that name ring a bell to anybody in the room? Because your money, your money, $697 million annually, plus the shipments of cash funds in Madrasas, ISIS, Al-Qaeda, Boko Haram, ISIS Khorasan, terrorist training camps. That’s what it’s funding,” Perry said.
In a post via X on Tuesday, the US Mission to Nigeria confirmed that monitoring systems are in place to track past assistance provided by the US government.
The U.S. Mission also strongly condemned the ongoing violence and loss of life caused by Boko Haram in Nigeria.
“Comprehensive monitoring and evaluation systems are in place to help verify that U.S. assistance reaches intended recipients. The United States condemns the violence and blatant disregard for human life perpetrated by Boko Haram and other terrorist groups in Nigeria and the region.
“The Secretary of State designated Boko Haram a Foreign Terrorist Organization on November 14, 2013 to block the organization’s assets and fundraising efforts, prosecute individual members, and restrict their travel to the United States.
“The United States continues to work with Nigeria and regional partners to counter terrorism,” the post read.
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