International

USAID: Hundreds lose jobs in Nigeria as many firms stop working

Published

12 months ago

March 3, 2025

US President Donald Trump

USAID: Hundreds lose jobs in Nigeria as many firms stop working

Many people working with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and its implementing organisations in Nigeria have lost their jobs following its 90- day funding freeze, Daily Trust has learnt.

The affected workers were from organisations funded by the agency, contractors, consultants, vendors community volunteers, including those working on programmes being done in collaboration with state and local governments and adhoc staff and direct staff of the USAID.

American President Donald Trump had, in January, issued an Executive Order for a 90-day pause of U.S foreign development assistance in order to assess programmatic efficiencies and alignment with U.S foreign.

The Executive Order froze new foreign aid spending and imposed a stop-work order on existing grants and contracts. Trump, however, approved a temporary waiver for life-saving interventions, including HIV, some days later.

While some of the organisations have stopped working since January, a few others funded by the USAID, fell under the waivers issued thereafter and are offering skeletal services.

Grantees and sub-grantees of the agency are also affected with the job loss that trailed the order.

The Nigeria’s Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Ali Pate, had recently said about 28,000 health workers were paid through US government support.

The USAID supports critical programmes in Nigeria, ranging from health, food security, trade and economy, governance, gender equality, renewable energy access,WASH programme focused on water resource management, security as well as humanitarian and development programmes in Nigeria’s North East.

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Some of its health interventions on malaria, HIV, tuberculosis , family planning and other maternal and child health programmes, capacity building and technical support have boosted Nigeria’s health sector and provided access to care for many people in the country.

The USAID has over 10,000 employees and operates in about 120 countries, including Nigeria.

USAID-funded projects in Nigeria include Data.FI, Breakthrough ACTION-Nigeria, Chemonics, the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) , Global Health Supply Chain Program-Procurement and Supply Management (GHSC-PSM) project, among others.

Some of its implementing organisations are WaterAid, ActionAID, US CDC, Achieving Health Nigeria Initiative (AHNi) and Population Council.

Job losses begin

Investigations by Daily Trust indicated that the job losses commenced the very week of the Executive Order, with many adhoc staff of health and other programmes laid off. Over the last few weeks, many more have continued to lose their jobs following further developments and funding cuts for different interventions by the US government.

Also, the USAID, in a notice on its website, had said most of its employees would be placed on leave or fired.

It said staff directly hired by the agency would be placed on administrative leave globally, except those responsible for core leadership and/or specially designated programs, and mission-critical functions.

It also said 1,600 workers based in the United States would be laid off in a “reduction-in-force” effort.

The USAID had also said it was coordinating with the Department of State to prepare a plan for personnel currently posted outside the US.

It said affected employees would be receiving direct notifications, detailing the next steps regarding their employment status, benefits and future options.

We’re struggling to survive–Affected workers

A source, working with an implementing organisation in the North- East of Nigeria, said the 90 day-suspension of humanitarian aid affected had definitely affected a lot of organisations implementing USAID projects across the region where it has many humanitarian projects.

He said many community volunteers and adhoc staff are now struggling to survive as a result of the job losses.

According to him, one of the strategies of implementing USAID projects is recruitment of community volunteers to support the implementation in the localities they are working.

He said with the stop work order and suspension of activities, the community volunteers working for interventions supporting health, nutrition, Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) and health promotion, agriculture and others had lost their jobs.

“So, all the community volunteers have been disengaged from their own means of livelihood because of the funding suspension. They don’t receive any salary or stipend any more, no income coming in for them anymore.

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“There are hundreds of volunteers and ad-hoc staff, contractors, vendors, including vendors that are giving food assistance to people, even water to the community.

He said while the staff of some organisations were sacked, he said some categories of staff had not received any clear communication or guidance if they are still staff and will resume work after the pause.

He said this category of workers, consisting of doctors, nurses, nutritionist and others implementing projects in the health and other sectors, had not been receiving salaries either and were hoping that the US government, after its review, would see their project or activity as impactful and return it after the freeze.

He also said the workforce had been cut or reduced even in some organisations that were later issued full or partial waivers because they fall under emergency or lifesaving services.

He said programmes that did not receive funding before the Executive Order could not continue implementation without funding so the staff lost their jobs.

He added that even staff of programmes routed through local government areas across the country lost their jobs because they received payments from the USAID.

Asked to give an estimate of people that had lost their jobs as a result of the USAID debacle, he said they could run into thousands.

A community volunteer with a nutrition programme in a local government area, who asked not to be named, said: “It has not been easy. At least before we get money at the end of the month to fend for ourselves and families but now nothing. It is even more difficult with the current situation in the country. It is definitely very challenging for me and my colleagues.”

Another source, who implements a health programme for the USAID, said a major impact of the 90-day funding freeze for workers is that there are indications that many of the interventions will not continue after the freeze.

He said: “USAID will likely restructured and if it does come back, things are not going to be the same . So right now, the job loss is massive.

“You cannot quantify the economic impact of the job losses. Imagine the psychological effect or not just the workers that have been laid off, but everyone who work in that space in Nigeria and globally .”

He said the over 1,000 Nigerian staff were employed by the USAID in Abuja and Lagos alone through its interventions.

“Both professionals consultants, technical staff, specialists and otherwise, were working on the many projects including health directly funded by USAID in Nigeria. So indeed it is a massive job loss with negative impact on the health, economy and other sectors,” he added.

Dr Stanley Ilechukwu, Director, South Saharan Social Development Organization (SSDO), an implementing organisation, said many family planning interventions had suffered as a result of the USAID aid pause, and that some of them might not resume even after the 90 days.

He said in the last one month, he had to let go of some of his workforce across Abia, Imo, Enugu and Lagos States as a result of funding cuts.

He said government at all levels must take up responsibility, adding that local government autonomy offers funding opportunity.

He said CSOs could advocate to local governments for investments to in health and other sectors.

The Nigeria’s Coordinating Minister of Health and social welfare, Prof Muhammad Ali Pate, had recently on a programme of Channels Television, said the federal government was working to assuage the impact of the USAID funding freeze on job losses and health programmes in the country.

He said most of the support programmes had actually been channeled through implementing partners not government systems.

USAID: Hundreds lose jobs in Nigeria as many firms stop working

Daily Trust

International

Israeli Airstrikes Kill 12 in Gaza as Violence Persists Despite Ceasefire

Published

4 hours ago

February 16, 2026

Trends Admin

Israeli Airstrikes Kill 12 in Gaza as Violence Persists Despite Ceasefire

At least 12 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli airstrikes across the Gaza Strip, the territory’s civil defence agency reported on Sunday, marking one of the deadliest days since a fragile ceasefire was implemented. The strikes hit multiple areas, including Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza and the southern city of Khan Younis, leaving several others injured.

The Gaza Civil Defence, responsible for rescue and emergency operations under Hamas, said one airstrike struck a tent sheltering displaced civilians in Jabalia, killing at least five people and wounding others. Another strike in Khan Younis also claimed five lives, while additional shelling in Beit Lahia and western Gaza City caused further casualties. Local authorities said most victims were civilians, including families displaced by previous attacks.

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The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said its operations targeted armed militants and underground infrastructure allegedly used to launch attacks, describing the strikes as a response to ceasefire violations. Palestinian authorities condemned the strikes as a massacre and a breach of the truce, while international observers expressed concern over the continuing civilian casualties.

Since the U.S.-brokered ceasefire in October 2023, tensions in Gaza have remained high, with sporadic clashes and violations on both sides. Gaza health authorities report that over 600 Palestinians have been killed and more than 1,600 injured by Israeli strikes since the truce took effect. Humanitarian organisations warn that repeated airstrikes have devastated infrastructure, leaving displaced families vulnerable and worsening living conditions.

International observers note that the ongoing violence threatens reconstruction efforts and regional stability. With limited access for media and aid agencies, verifying casualty figures remains difficult, though reports consistently highlight the severe impact on civilians and displaced families.

The Gaza civil defence called on residents to stay vigilant, avoid military targets, and seek safety as authorities continue to respond to emergency situations across the territory. The situation underscores the fragility of the ceasefire and the urgent need for renewed diplomatic efforts to prevent further civilian casualties.

Israeli Airstrikes Kill 12 in Gaza as Violence Persists Despite Ceasefire

International

FBI Probe Continues as Ex‑Church Minister Who Confessed to Child Abuse Remains Free

Published

4 hours ago

February 16, 2026

Trends Admin

FBI Probe Continues as Ex‑Church Minister Who Confessed to Child Abuse Remains Free

An ex‑minister of a secretive Christian group who publicly admitted to child sexual abuse during a BBC interview remains free more than two years later, despite ongoing investigations by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and renewed allegations from other victims. The man, Robert Corfield, once served as a minister in a shadowy church commonly known as The Truth or the Two by Twos — a global network of itinerant ministers with no official headquarters or widely recognised name. In early 2024, Corfield told the BBC that he had sexually abused a boy named Michael Havet for six years starting in the 1980s when Havet was 12 years old, in Saskatchewan, Canada.

Corfield’s admission was part of a larger wave of revelations about abuse in the Two by Twos community. His name was among more than 1,100 reported to a hotline set up to document cases of sexual abuse within the church. About a month after the BBC’s initial investigation, the FBI launched a probe into allegations of child sexual abuse within the group. Although Corfield spoke to FBI agents in late 2024 or early 2025, saying he “responded with the truth,” he has not been contacted by authorities since that visit and remains at liberty in the U.S. state of Montana. When asked if he fears arrest, Corfield acknowledged that “there is that possibility.”

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Authorities, including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), have also been involved. The RCMP confirmed it investigated historic sexual assaults that occurred in the 1980s and sent files to Crown prosecutors for assessment, while the Saskatchewan Ministry of Justice noted it does not comment on cases currently under investigation. A separate alleged victim, identified only as Edward, came forward in 2025 claiming he was sexually assaulted by Corfield in 1974 at age 11, well before Corfield’s abuse of Michael. Edward also described alleged grooming behaviours, adding to concerns about Corfield’s past conduct.

Corfield’s case is part of broader allegations of abuse in the Two by Twos community, which some survivors and investigators describe as insular and resistant to external scrutiny. Advocacy groups have reported hundreds of alleged historical abusers connected to the sect globally. In the United States, a former elder of the Two by Twos was sentenced to 120 years in prison for possessing child sexual abuse material, highlighting that criminal accountability is possible when prosecutions occur. Survivors and advocates have criticised the church leadership’s historical handling of abuse allegations, alleging that serious complaints were ignored or covered up. Former members say the group’s structure — with ministers often hosted in private homes and an emphasis on internal solutions — made it easier for abuse to go unreported for decades.

While investigators continue their work, Corfield’s freedom has drawn sharp criticism from survivors like Michael, who has expressed confusion and frustration at the slow pace of legal action. Advocates have urged authorities in both the United States and Canada to urgently pursue all leads, not only against individual perpetrators but also over potential institutional failures within the church. Support networks for survivors have also grown online and through advocacy organisations, offering counselling and community resources for victims of the alleged abuse. Despite these efforts, many survivors say justice remains elusive more than two years after the minister’s public confession.

FBI Probe Continues as Ex‑Church Minister Who Confessed to Child Abuse Remains Free

International

Trump Halts Minnesota Immigration Crackdown After Fatal Shootings, Protests

Published

4 days ago

February 12, 2026

Trends Admin

U.S President Donald Trump

Trump Halts Minnesota Immigration Crackdown After Fatal Shootings, Protests

The Trump administration has officially halted Operation Metro Surge, a controversial immigration enforcement operation in Minnesota, following widespread protests, political backlash, and the deaths of two U.S. citizens. The decision was announced by Tom Homan, the U.S. “border czar,” who confirmed that President Donald Trump approved ending the monthslong crackdown.

Operation Metro Surge, launched in December 2025, focused on the Minneapolis–St. Paul metropolitan area, deploying nearly 3,000 federal immigration officers at its peak. The operation aimed to detain undocumented immigrants, which the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) described as targeting “criminal illegal aliens.” However, reports indicate that many detainees had no criminal records, including children and U.S. citizens, raising concerns about the operation’s scope and fairness.

The crackdown drew intense public opposition after anti-ICE protesters Renée Good and Alex Pretti were fatally shot during separate incidents in Minneapolis. The shootings intensified calls for accountability and prompted local and national criticism of federal enforcement tactics.

In a statement, Homan said, “I have proposed and President Trump has concurred that this surge operation conclude.” He noted that a drawdown of federal personnel had already begun, with a smaller contingent remaining temporarily to transition operations and coordinate with local authorities.

During the operation, DHS reported over 4,000 arrests, though critics highlighted the disproportionate impact on communities and families, emphasizing the humanitarian and civil liberties concerns arising from the surge.

Minnesota officials, including Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, welcomed the decision, calling the operation an overreach that harmed communities and strained trust between law enforcement and residents. Civil rights groups also praised the halt but urged comprehensive immigration reforms to prevent future abuses.

The end of Operation Metro Surge marks a significant development in the national debate over immigration enforcement, sanctuary policies, and federal authority, highlighting the challenge of balancing border security with human rights and community safety.