UK Halves Aid To Nigeria In Major Foreign Assistance Shake-Up

The United Kingdom has announced a 50.2 per cent reduction in development assistance to Nigeria under a wider overhaul of its foreign aid programme aimed at boosting defence spending and funding domestic priorities.

According to the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), Nigeria’s allocation will fall from £136.62 million in the 2025–2026 financial year to £68 million by 2028–2029 as part of a new three-year spending plan.

The reduction forms part of a broader restructuring of Britain’s Official Development Assistance (ODA), with the Labour government planning to lower aid spending from 0.7 per cent to 0.3 per cent of Gross National Income (GNI) by 2027.

The FCDO said the new funding framework is designed to provide greater certainty over aid allocations while allowing flexibility to respond to humanitarian emergencies and evolving global priorities.

Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper acknowledged that the changes required difficult decisions but insisted the UK remained committed to international development through what she described as a modernised partnership approach rather than traditional grant-based assistance.

She said the government would continue to support international priorities while addressing domestic challenges, strengthening national security and increasing defence expenditure.

The spending cuts will affect all 34 African countries receiving UK development assistance, with several nations facing even steeper reductions than Nigeria.

Kenya will experience the largest cut, with its allocation dropping by 92.5 per cent to £5 million. Tanzania, Malawi and Mozambique will also see reductions of more than 90 per cent, while Zambia, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Ghana, Uganda, South Sudan and Somalia are among other countries facing substantial funding cuts.

South Africa is expected to receive no UK development funding by 2029 after successive reductions, while regional programmes across the Sahel and other parts of Africa will also face significant budget cuts.

Overall, UK aid to Africa is projected to decline by 23.7 per cent, falling from £1.45 billion in 2026 to £639.81 million by 2029.

The UK’s decision mirrors a broader trend among Western nations to reduce foreign aid in response to mounting domestic economic pressures and rising defence commitments.

The United States has already scaled back several overseas assistance programmes following a restructuring of USAID, while countries including Germany, France, the Netherlands and Sweden have also announced reductions in development spending as they redirect resources toward defence, energy security and domestic priorities.