Nigerian women and girls hit hardest by British and US funding cuts, MPs hear

**Lead**

Women and girls in Nigeria are suffering the most severe consequences of the recent wave of funding cuts by the British and American governments, a parliamentary committee in London has been told. Giving evidence to the International Development Committee on Tuesday, aid experts and Nigerian civil society representatives warned that the withdrawal of millions of pounds in bilateral assistance is dismantling critical services in maternal health, gender-based violence response, and girls’ education. The hearing underscored a growing concern that the most vulnerable populations in sub-Saharan Africa are paying the highest price for fiscal retrenchment in donor capitals.

**Context**

The United Kingdom, under its current administration, has signalled a shift in its foreign aid strategy, prioritising domestic spending and reducing the overall aid budget from 0.7 per cent to 0.5 per cent of gross national income. This has led to the closure or scaling back of several long-standing programmes in Nigeria, one of the largest recipients of British aid in Africa. Simultaneously, the United States has implemented significant cuts to its own development assistance, including reductions to the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief and other health initiatives that have historically supported Nigerian women.

Witnesses told the committee that the combined effect of these cuts is particularly acute in northern Nigeria, where maternal mortality rates are among the highest in the world. Programmes that provided free antenatal care, skilled birth attendants, and emergency obstetric services have been suspended or defunded. One witness, a representative from a Nigerian women’s rights organisation, described how clinics that once served hundreds of women per month have been forced to turn away patients due to lack of supplies and staff.

In addition to health services, funding for shelters and legal aid for survivors of domestic and sexual violence has been drastically reduced. The committee heard that many safe houses in states such as Borno, Yobe, and Kaduna have closed their doors, leaving women with no alternative but to return to abusive environments. The cuts have also affected educational programmes that provide scholarships and safe learning spaces for girls, particularly in regions affected by insurgency and banditry.

**Analise**

The impact of these funding reductions extends far beyond the immediate loss of services. Economists and development specialists have long argued that investing in women and girls yields the highest returns in terms of poverty reduction, economic growth, and social stability. When maternal health programmes are cut, infant and maternal mortality rise, which in turn increases the burden on already strained healthcare systems and reduces the productive capacity of communities. Similarly, when girls are forced out of school due to lack of support, they are more likely to marry early, have more children, and remain trapped in cycles of poverty.

The timing of the cuts is particularly concerning given the broader economic pressures facing Nigeria. The country is grappling with high inflation, a depreciating currency, and rising unemployment. The removal of external funding for social programmes places additional strain on the Nigerian government, which is already struggling to meet its own budget targets. Aid agencies have warned that without a reversal or mitigation of these cuts, the gains made in maternal health and gender equality over the past two decades could be reversed within a matter of months.

Furthermore, the cuts risk undermining the UK’s own strategic interests in the region. Nigeria is a key partner in counter-terrorism, trade, and migration management. A deterioration in health and education outcomes, particularly among women, could exacerbate instability and increase the drivers of irregular migration toward Europe. Several MPs on the committee expressed concern that the Treasury’s focus on short-term savings is blinding the government to the long-term costs of disengagement.

**Fontes**

This article is based on evidence presented to the UK Parliament’s International Development Committee on 28 October 2026. Witnesses included representatives from the Nigerian Women’s Trust Fund, the British Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, and independent development consultants. Additional context was drawn from publicly available reports by the United Nations Population Fund and the World Bank on aid flows and gender outcomes in sub-Saharan Africa.