Nigerian women and girls hit hardest by British and American aid cuts, MPs hear

**Lead**

A cross-party committee of British MPs has heard stark evidence that women and girls in Nigeria are bearing the brunt of recent cuts to foreign aid budgets by both the United Kingdom and the United States. Witnesses told the International Development Committee on Tuesday that the withdrawal of funding has led to the closure of maternity clinics, the suspension of girls’ education initiatives, and a sharp reduction in services combating gender-based violence. The session, held in Westminster, underscored the human cost of the Government’s decision to reduce the UK’s official development assistance from 0.7 per cent to 0.5 per cent of gross national income, a move compounded by similar belt-tightening in Washington.

**Contexto**

The UK’s aid budget was cut in 2021, with the Treasury citing the economic strain of the Covid-19 pandemic. Although the Government has since indicated an intention to return to the 0.7 per cent target when fiscal conditions allow, no firm timetable has been set. Meanwhile, the United States — historically the world’s largest bilateral donor — has also scaled back its global health and development spending under pressure from Congress to reduce the federal deficit. Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation and a key recipient of both British and American aid, has been particularly exposed.

According to data from the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Nigeria received approximately £150 million in bilateral aid in the last financial year, down from more than £200 million five years ago. The US Agency for International Development has similarly reduced its footprint in the country, with several large-scale health programmes either terminated or placed on reduced funding. The committee heard that these cuts have fallen hardest on programmes specifically designed to support women and girls, who already face some of the world’s highest rates of maternal mortality and gender inequality.

Witnesses included representatives from non-governmental organisations operating in northern Nigeria, where cultural and economic barriers to female education and healthcare are most acute. One organisation reported that a network of 40 community-based maternity centres had been forced to close after UK funding was withdrawn, leaving tens of thousands of pregnant women without access to skilled birth attendants. Another described how a scholarship programme for girls in rural areas had been suspended, with many of the beneficiaries now at risk of early marriage or being pulled out of school to work.

**Analise**

The evidence presented to the committee highlights a broader tension in British foreign policy: the desire to maintain global influence and uphold humanitarian commitments while simultaneously pursuing domestic fiscal consolidation. The cuts to the aid budget were originally presented as a temporary measure, but critics argue that the lack of a clear restoration date has created a climate of uncertainty that makes long-term planning impossible for partner organisations. The situation is exacerbated by the simultaneous reduction in US funding, which has historically complemented British efforts in areas such as maternal health, family planning, and girls’ education.

For Nigeria, the consequences are not merely humanitarian but also strategic. The country faces significant demographic pressures, with a rapidly growing population and high youth unemployment. Experts have long argued that investing in the education and health of women and girls is one of the most effective ways to break cycles of poverty, reduce child mortality, and promote economic growth. The withdrawal of aid, therefore, risks undermining decades of progress and could fuel further instability in a region already grappling with insurgency and climate change.

The committee is expected to publish a report in the coming weeks, which may recommend that the Government prioritise funding for gender-focused programmes even within a reduced overall budget. Some MPs have also called for greater transparency in how aid money is allocated, arguing that the current system does not adequately track the impact of cuts on vulnerable groups. The session served as a reminder that, while aid budgets are often discussed in terms of aggregate figures and percentages, the real cost is measured in lives disrupted and opportunities lost.

**Fontes**

This article is based on evidence presented to the UK Parliament’s International Development Committee on 27 October 2026, as well as publicly available data from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and the US Agency for International Development. Additional context was drawn from reports by the United Nations Population Fund and the World Bank on gender and development outcomes in Nigeria.