US to monitor USAID sent to Nigeria as Trump suspends aid

The United States Mission to Nigeria has reaffirmed that monitoring and evaluation systems are in place to ensure that US aid allocated to Nigeria and other countries is properly utilized.

 This follows US President Donald Trump’s decision on January 20, 2025, to suspend all foreign aid for 90 days, citing concerns about global destabilization and a lack of alignment with American interests.

In a post on its verified X (formerly Twitter) handle on Tuesday, the US Mission to Nigeria emphasized that strict tracking mechanisms are in place for all past and present assistance provided by the US government.

“Comprehensive monitoring and evaluation systems are in place to help verify that U.S. assistance reaches intended recipients,” the mission stated.

The announcement comes amid growing scrutiny of the US Agency for International Development (USAID), which has faced allegations of misappropriating taxpayer funds.

US Congressman Scott Perry, a Republican from Pennsylvania, recently claimed that USAID had funded terrorist organizations, including Boko Haram.

Perry made the claim during the inaugural hearing of the Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency on February 14, 2025.

During the session, titled “The War on Waste: Stamping Out the Scourge of Improper Payments and Fraud,” Perry alleged that USAID funds had been used to support extremist groups.

“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 claimed.

Meanwhile, the US Mission to Nigeria condemned ongoing violence by Boko Haram and other extremist groups, reaffirming America’s commitment to fighting terrorism in Nigeria and the region.

“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 mission stated.

It also reiterated that Boko Haram was officially designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) by the US Secretary of State on November 14, 2013. This classification aims to block the group’s assets, restrict fundraising, prosecute its members, and prevent their travel to the United States.

Perry’s allegations add to a broader debate on USAID’s role in global security. He cited USAID’s reported $136 million expenditure to build 120 schools in Pakistan, claiming there was “zero evidence” of their construction.

“You are funding terrorism, and it’s coming through USAID. And it’s not just Afghanistan, because Pakistan’s right next door,” Perry alleged.

Trump, who has long called for USAID’s closure, has accused the agency of corruption and mismanagement. His Department of Government Efficiency, led by billionaire Elon Musk, has pledged to investigate USAID’s activities.

Musk has described USAID as “a viper’s nest of radical-left Marxists who hate America”, alleging that it engages in rogue CIA operations.

His department’s mandate includes “dismantling government bureaucracy, slashing excessive regulations, cutting wasteful expenditures, and restructuring federal agencies.”