UK Slashes Financial Aid To Nigeria by Half

Under the new funding plan, Nigeria’s allocation is expected to fall from £136.62 million in the 2025–2026 financial year to £68 million by the 2028–2029 fiscal period.

The decision forms part of the Labour government’s strategy to reduce the UK’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) from 0.7 percent to 0.3 percent of Gross National Income (GNI) by 2027. British authorities said the move is necessary to accommodate increased defence expenditure while modernising the country’s approach to international development.

Official figures released by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) indicate that the funding cuts will affect all 34 African countries receiving UK aid. Kenya is expected to record the steepest reduction, with funding projected to decline by 92.5 percent, while Tanzania, Malawi and Mozambique will each experience cuts exceeding 90 percent. Other countries, including Zambia, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Ghana, Uganda, South Sudan and Somalia, will also face substantial reductions.

The FCDO explained that setting three-year funding allocations would provide greater predictability during the transition to the reduced aid target, while stressing that future allocations could still be adjusted in response to humanitarian emergencies, global crises and changing development priorities.

UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper described the decision as a difficult but necessary step, insisting that Britain remains committed to its international values despite the reduction in grant-based assistance. She said the government intends to strengthen partnerships with developing nations through a modernised approach that focuses on long-term collaboration rather than traditional aid alone.

Cooper also stated that the government’s refreshed foreign policy priorities are designed to tackle challenges such as economic security, illegal migration, climate change and emerging global threats while building stronger international alliances.

The report further noted that South Africa is expected to receive no UK development allocation by 2029 following successive funding reductions, while regional programmes across the Sahel and other African departments will also experience significant budget cuts. Overall, UK aid to Africa is projected to decline by 23.7 percent, dropping from £1.45 billion in 2026 to £639.81 million by 2029.

The UK’s decision reflects a broader international trend, with several Western nations scaling back foreign assistance. The United States, Germany, France, the Netherlands and Sweden have all introduced reductions to aid budgets in recent years as governments redirect resources towards defence, domestic economic priorities and new foreign policy strategies centred on investment and trade partnerships rather than conventional aid programmes.