I recently listened to an eye-opening interview with Nigerian politician Adamu Garba II, who discussed the implications of USAID funding in Nigeria, which received $824 million in 2023. Initially seen as a vital support for healthcare and education, Garba revealed that documents from the U.S. Army suggest USAID functions as a tool for unconventional warfare, contributing to instability in recipient countries. He questions the true purpose of this funding, suggesting it may align Nigeria with U.S. interests rather than genuinely aid its development, as evidenced by the unrest in many top recipient nations.
President Trump's withdrawal of US government personnel and funding impacts global aid, particularly affecting Nigeria's receipt of intervention funds and grants. Concerns exist regarding the true nature of USAID funding, with allegations it's used for unconventional warfare, destabilizing nations, and funding insurgency. Critics cite examples like Ukraine, highlighting the ongoing conflict despite substantial US aid. Conversely, others argue that USAID's interventions in areas like health and governance predate existing conflicts. The debate centers on whether USAID is a genuine aid provider or a tool for furthering US geopolitical interests. The crucial takeaway for Nigeria is the need for self-reliance, focusing on internal capacity building, localizing operations, and reducing dependence on foreign aid. This includes leveraging traditional practices and customizing education to better suit national needs.
Speaker 0: The impacts of you said, defunding, if you will, and literally withdrawal of personnel by the United States government led by president Donald Trump, where he has made very sweeping statements and policies. As a matter of fact, a lot of the things they are doing what you said, some people are saying you said is dead, quote and unquote. How does that affect Africa, the rest of the world, and especially Nigeria? Because some of those intervention funds and grants, get to us one way or the other. I've been joined in the program, by the founder, global and global president, women environment program, doctor Priscilla Achakba.
Joining us from Benue State, also mister, global affairs analyst and former presidential aspirant, mister Adamu Garuba, joins us from Abuja Cities. Mister Garuba, thank you for coming on the program.
Speaker 1: Thank you for having me.
Speaker 0: So, Trump is barely he was sworn in on January, in literal in just weeks. The whole world is vibrating, from trade war to the statesmen in Gaza. But what that concerns us is some of the interventions through you said, that he's now said, look, all of the spendings that are happening that are not necessary, they're not gonna continue. So as an overview, how does this affect us, for the people who who don't understand the implication of the the policy of an executive order of mister Trump?
Speaker 1: Thank you once again for having me. You see, prior to the Dutch announcement, you know, when when Donald Trump was sworn in in office, he promised even during the campaign that there is something called department of government efficiency that is going to be run by Elon Mox. So that department open to be happen to be like an information exposeee department and then driving the great reset of The United States policy framework both internally and externally. Part of which is this you said, that, was, technically put out of out of out of use. And that, although, prior to this expose, people like us and so many, ordinary Africans, especially Nigerians, will be thinking that you said it's actually one of the the most important organization that assisted in supporting health care, education, endowment, and several civil society organization activities in Nigeria.
Because in just, FY, February and and '23, Nigeria got almost $824,000,000 of you said funding. But then again, when the expose came out and so many documents came and, to to limelight, especially one of the critical document was the document released by the department of, army of the United States, which is called Special Army Operation Forces. I think the document is online. You can you can check it. I think f, three zero five, dot one thirty document that discussed how you said it's used as a weapon of unconventional warfare, conventional warfare, and also irregular warfare.
So it means that even though this, you said, is supposed to serve some humanitarian, educational, and also held, civil society cases, it was actually an operation of the United State army. And what they use is to carry out so many sign ups and info ops operations to create a situation that will bring about irregularity, destabilization, confusion, and so many other state of trouble that we have today in in most of the places where they operate most. Because if you look at the list of the top 10 countries where you said operate most, from Ukraine, the top most, down to South Sudan, you will see that almost all these countries are in this array. Despite there's so much money that is committed to them. Ukraine alone in that twenty twenty twenty three has about $16,000,000,000, but all of us know the situation of Ukraine today.
To that, population of Ukraine have left this country. What does 600,000 deaths? And that's it keep continuing. And when you take the history of Ukraine, you know, from the, coup d'etat that took place in 02/2014 that removed Victoria and a Kovich down to Zelensky era and all the current moment that is happening, the crisis between them and Russia and the death that is being recorded there, which is funded single handedly by the USD, by the by the USAID, then you will now begin to question the $824,000,000 that is invested in Nigeria in 2023, where does it go to? I will show that these monies that are invested are not going through this unconventional irregular warfare that they used to drive their agenda by making sure that they keep us in check, in alignment with the principles, diplomatic, intelligence, financial, law enforcement, and economic programs of United States Of America so that we are always in line with their own programs?
Does that inform the reason why since you say it's also one of the organs that fund insurgency in the world, Does that inform the reason why most of the places where you
Speaker 2: Mister Gamba, I'm I'm trying to understand you.
Speaker 1: Crisis and the conflicts hardly sees like Voco Haram that is located in Miss miss remote part of Lake Chad.
Speaker 2: Mister Gamba.
Speaker 1: This kind of massive weapons.
Speaker 2: Mister Garba, I'm I'm trying to understand you. I'm I'm really trying to understand you here. Are you saying that the you you said is a small screen for something entirely different for which what you're saying we cannot particularly provide proof. What we know you said to be is you know an interventionist ah agency providing ah intervention in the health sector and some of its programs are known. PEPFA, you know for instance, the the the programs are known.
So, I don't know if you have proof to provide you know, to back up some of the things that you were saying but what we know you say to be, is entirely different. And that's why I want to refer to some of the data that we have that is, you know, showing what we stand to lose as a result of this withdrawal of funding. If we can just show that data on the screen, there, there's a huge threat to job losses, you know, more than 100 employees, for those who responded to the survey, they said ehm, employee losses would be between twenty and fifty people each, overall, there is a sense of insecurity going forward, and, and at this point, perhaps it's important to also mention that, you know, some of those benefiting would rather not speak because of their grant that is still hanging. And this is what I I want you to speak to actually. If there's a, a a huge threat of job losses, you know, and grants as a result of the, USAID funds freeze, when are the lessons really that Nigeria, you know, should be taking away from this?
Speaker 1: You You see, just like you and like myself and so many other people, we used to think that you said it's actually in this country to provide this intervention that it mentioned. And that's why I referred to you a document that is relayed by the Department of United, of the army of the US, and, army special operation forces, they call it ARSOF. The document is online. You can check it. You will see the operations.
You will see so many activities that is being carried out in the name from the front are trying to intervene to help the citizen get by, to help and in our educational endowment, health care challenges, especially on primary health care operations. But in essence, these operations are actually conducted to extract data so that further destabilization agenda can be pushed. This is not being spoken by me. This is expressed by the United State government themselves. Elon Mox, in fact, even mentioned that you said it's actually a criminal organization.
And you have several of this mention from Marco Rubio who is The United States Secretary Of Defense, you know, to the spokesperson, of of the of of the United State government. All of them are mentioning this, including the vice president JD Vance. So when you look at these things, even president Trump himself. So why I'm not saying that it is an information that is online that they are criminalizing the operations of Usaid. So if the funders, the supporters, the encouragers, you know, the the the operational, country of Usaid is telling you that this is a criminal organization, then why should I actually accept it as something that is good?
This is the thing. And the lesson is, of course, so many people are going to lose their job. You have so many grants that is going to go off. It is true. But what is the consequence?
What is the impact, the damages that this kind of operation is causing to countries? That's why I told you, just look at the top 10. I put it even on my page. Just look at the top 10 that is released by Statista. The top 10 countries that get the most grant from you.
He said, none of these countries is in peace. None of them. Somalia, you know, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Syria, Afghanistan. These are the countries that are getting money including Nigeria. Nigeria is listed as number seven in these countries.
So if The US themselves are saying that this is criminal and what they do is perpetrate evil in countries by carrying out illegal or unconventional warfare as a program of war on terror. Alright. Then we should take you say
Speaker 3: Alright, mister Garba. You know,
Speaker 1: with a pinch of salt.
Speaker 3: Mister Garba.
Speaker 1: Be very careful. I think Nigeria
Speaker 0: Alright.
Speaker 1: Have a structure of vetting NGOs before they even start operating.
Speaker 0: So let's establish some
Speaker 3: things, mister Garba, and, be factual as much as possible. Yes. We understand that there's been a change of government in The US. So naturally, lots of and we understand how the politics, the electioneering process, how they went, how a lot of things were very divisive. So this is primarily US politics issue, right?
And you'd understand that once a new government comes in, lots of things are said and you can't take some of those things to the bank because they are local politics for America. Secondly, a lot of these countries I will show you some of our countries, most effective to show you that map that you see. And this is done by accountability lab, so you get a sense. Nigeria is there. Ukraine, as you said, is there.
But, you know, the color is not as deep as some other countries in North America or South America as you can see. What you will know mister Garaban, I'm sure you are aware. This is a lot of this conflict started before the intervention of USAID. And we'll go to the thematic areas that USAID has been involved in. Let's just move to that briefly.
So you see some of the areas, that USAID has been provided intervention. So these conflicts happened and then USAID came in. Some would say you're trying to blame the USAID for a conflict that happened prior to their intervention. But look at the areas, that they've been involved in areas of governance, health, and I'm sure you are you are aware of that. Issues of anti corruption, climate, gender as well.
So this is backed by data. Are you not really blaming the wrong person? Because some will say this country should look inwards and look for the cause of the challenges and not blame USAID. Nigeria being one of them.
Speaker 1: You see, Kayode, this is because we are engineered, you know, with the colonial mindset. So, and that is why, we always keep thinking that this organization are actually coming, we intervene, and you have a case that, like you mentioned, is it a chicken or the egg? Which one come first? But then I can give you a reference of what happened in Ukraine. Ukraine prior to the color revolution was a very peaceful country in 2010 before started orange revolution.
And from there, you have victory and a colleague come in. The country was very stable before Victoria Newland was appointed as under secretary of state of The United State which her principal jobs, these records are online is to see how they can undermine Ukraine because of the government support for the, for the neighboring country of Russia and Belarus. And that is how it was engineered. Zelensky came on board, and this was started. So why did USAID stop?
Now look at the spent profile of USAID prior to that conflict, and look at the peace that is in Ukraine, then look at the amount of money that they injected, and then look at the conflict the way it is growing. So, people will always want to say that this has been helping us, maybe giving you health and challenges and supporting these things but then even when you open the books, you will see that these activities that they carry out, the supply chain of the material that they get all comes from The United States. Again, the information they get, the weapons that gets to the terrorist, everyone has question about it. And there are so many blames that have gone to the NGOs, most especially you said. And as I'm as I told you earlier, it is the same United States government.
I'm not talking about any other body. You said is an agency of The United States. And it is the same United States government that is telling us that this is a criminal organization. So if we take it, you know mister Garab. Political issue, Mister Garaba.
To ourselves because we are also suffering from the consequences of
Speaker 0: Mister Garaba, just, just for one of time. Mister Garaba, just a moment. Just a moment for one of time so that we wrap up the conversation. I know there are so many things that have been said about you said, in terms of undermining sovereignities and all the things we've always spoken about and accusation back and forth between the democrat and the republican. But there's a question you're not answering.
What we need to do differently at the end of the day, it's not just United States as giving aid. Aid comes to Africa from all over the place. But more aid then we get more impoverished and indebted at the end of the day. What should we do go forward? This is a checker.
What signal should we get and do if you are to advise three things in one minute?
Speaker 1: Yes. Number one, I like the stand of the government. Vice president works in Davos and then clearly stated the position of Nigerian government that we would rather live with our poverty and with our dignity in our hands than to go with our ball in our hands begging for air. So it is important for Nigeria to begin to discuss equal terms with nations than to just going for air. So it is very important for us to unlock our productivity, to come inward, to see what we can do to enable our growth, to develop local capacity, to look inward deeply so that we can create programs and policies and framework that is in tune with our local realities in Nigeria, not always to be dependent on what is coming from the outside.
Even the medicine like the immunization that is going and also some support that is given to maternal health care that that that we we take from you said. None of these drugs came from Nigeria. So why don't we leverage on our local traditional operations to be able to support ourselves? Why don't we look at how we can customize our education system to be in tune with our reality as opposed to the colonially driven education system that gives us good English, but at the end of the day, highly gives us the job we need. You know, other than the service opportunity, we can hardly manufacture.
Most countries that grow successfully like China, like India, you find out that they localize the operations. Alright. Mister Garba. That is what I think we need to do than to depend on aid.
Speaker 0: I must thank you so much. It's an ongoing conversation. This is our time for Africa to look inward, time for Nigeria to look inward and begin to take care of our self by ourselves. Maybe we'll we'll pick that mantra as well. Making Nigeria great again if you will because America has decided to Yes.
To look at themselves and sort out their internal issues even if it has to do removing monies across the across the world. Thank you, mister Garaba, Damu, global affairs analyst and former presidential aspirant. Thank you.
Speaker 1: Thank you for having me.
Speaker 0: We'll take a quick break. When we come back, how should women protect themselves before help comes? Our security expert will give us what we need. He'll tell us what to do. Join us.
