The House of Representatives is investigating how $4.6 billion in international health aid grants between 2021 and 2025 were used.
During Wednesday’s plenary, lawmakers argued that the grants had failed to prevent high mortality rates, including Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), tuberculosis, and malaria.
In a motion presented, the lawmakers said urgent oversight and a reevaluation of current strategies were necessary to prevent the country from missing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal of ending epidemics of those diseases by 2030.
The probe comes amid international aid cuts from the United States after President Donald Trump returned to office in January. The Trump administration has led the way in cutting foreign aid budgets, prompting humanitarian workers to warn he has put the lives of vulnerable people, especially in Africa, at risk.
The lower chamber noted that Nigeria accounts for 31 per cent of global malaria deaths and ranked first in Africa and sixth globally for tuberculosis cases.
They directed the Committee on HIV/AIDS to report back after a month to propose legislative action.
The committee will investigate the grants provided by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria.
The House noted that the United States Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief also contributed $6 billion over the same period to support HIV/AIDS treatment and strengthen health systems.
“Despite these significant investments, Nigeria remains burdened by public health challenges, including 51,000 AIDS-related deaths in 2023, ranking third globally,” the parliamentary motion said.
With Nigeria’s revenue already strained and health budget below the 15 per cent threshold recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO), foreign aids help to fund health programmes. The cuts have since reduced available funds for a lot of projects, according to the Ministry of Health.
Aid cuts are threatening efforts like vaccine supply chains, treatment access, and disease control efforts, which could erase progress around mortality and morbidity reduction rates. Vulnerable conflict-prone regions like North East Nigeria also face shortages in medical aid and nutrition programmes.