Nigeria has emerged as the third-largest African recipient of development assistance from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), securing $876 million in 2024. The figures were disclosed in the Africa Sustainable Development Report 2025, jointly produced by the African Union Commission, the UN Economic Commission for Africa, the African Development Bank, and the UN Development Programme.
According to the report, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) topped the list with $1.3 billion, followed closely by Ethiopia with $1.25 billion. Nigeria placed third, ahead of South Sudan ($830 million), Kenya ($824 million), Mozambique ($756 million), and Sudan ($694 million).
Despite the large allocation, Nigeria’s aid inflow represented just 0.21 per cent of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP), the second-lowest ratio among the continent’s top ten beneficiaries. By contrast, South Sudan, which received less than Nigeria in total aid value, recorded the highest aid-to-GDP ratio at 6.05 per cent.
The report further revealed that the top ten African recipients of USAID funding collectively received $8.1 billion in 2024, with the DRC and Ethiopia accounting for a significant share of the total assistance.
