Nigeria’s Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Ali Pate, has affirmed that the country can sustain its healthcare system without relying on foreign aid, despite the withdrawal of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
His remarks follow recent controversies surrounding USAID, including allegations from U.S. Congressman Scott Perry, who accused the agency of funding terrorist organizations like Boko Haram.
Perry made the claim during a congressional hearing on government efficiency, where he also criticized USAID for allocating $136 million to build 120 schools in Pakistan.
Adding to the controversy, billionaire Elon Musk, who heads President Donald Trump’s newly established Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has taken steps to take control of USAID. Musk has openly condemned the agency, calling it “evil” and a “viper’s nest of radical-left Marxists.”
Speaking in an interview with Channels Television on Friday, Minister Pate made it clear that Nigeria would rely on its own resources rather than seek international assistance.
“We may be a poor country, but we are a capable country, and we are determined to own up to that responsibility,” Pate said. “If others step in and support us, we appreciate it, but we are not begging for it, and we also will live within what we have.”