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Trump’s administration stops foreign aids on HIV to Nigeria, other countries as experts react

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By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

The Donald Trump administration has halted funding for HIV/AIDS programs in Nigeria and other developing countries, a move that has drawn widespread criticism from global health experts and activists.

This decision comes despite ongoing efforts to combat the disease in regions that heavily rely on international aid to sustain healthcare initiatives.

The decision affects the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), which has been a critical source of funding for HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention in Nigeria and other low-income nations.

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Over the years, PEPFAR has supported millions of individuals with life-saving antiretroviral treatments, helping to curb the spread of the virus in some of the world’s most vulnerable communities.

Health experts fear this funding freeze could lead to devastating setbacks in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

Dr. Amina Ahmed, a Nigerian health policy expert, warned of severe consequences for patients who depend on subsidized medication.

“This decision will leave many Nigerians living with HIV without access to treatment. It threatens to reverse years of progress made in reducing HIV-related deaths and new infections,” Dr. Ahmed said.

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The suspension could also disrupt prevention programs, including mother-to-child transmission initiatives, which have been pivotal in reducing the number of newborns born with the virus.

Critics argue that the decision reflects a lack of empathy for struggling nations. Dr. Michael Jones, a U.S.-based global health advocate, described the move as a “callous disregard for human lives.”

The Trump administration has defended the decision, citing budgetary constraints and a shift in focus toward domestic healthcare priorities.

However, advocates argue that cutting off aid to developing countries will have broader implications for global health security.

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Nigeria, which has one of the highest HIV prevalence rates globally, could face dire consequences.

The National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) estimates that over 1.9 million Nigerians are living with HIV.

Many of these individuals depend on PEPFAR-supported programs for their treatment and care.

The announcement has sparked calls for urgent action. Local NGOs and international organizations have begun lobbying for alternative funding sources to bridge the gap left by the U.S. withdrawal.

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Advocacy groups are also urging the Nigerian government to increase its healthcare budget to reduce reliance on foreign aid.

The decision has drawn parallels to the global reaction following similar cuts during the early years of the AIDS epidemic.

Analysts warn that reducing funding for HIV/AIDS programs could lead to a resurgence of the disease, undermining decades of progress in public health.

As the global community reacts to this development, the focus remains on finding sustainable solutions to ensure that affected individuals continue receiving the care they need.

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The Nigerian government and international stakeholders now face the challenge of mitigating the impact of this funding gap while maintaining momentum in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

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Rivers traditional ruler narrowly escapes assassin’s bullets as hoodlums shoot at his palace

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The Amadabo of Finima in Bonny local government area of Rivers State, HRH Aseme Alabo Dagogo Lambert Brown in the early hours of today, August 22, 2026 narroy escaped an assassination attempt on his life.

However, the Amadabo was not at home when the blood thirsty hoodlums fired sporadically at the building housing the living rooms of the monarch and other households.

Unfortunately, some members were seriously injured and rushed to hospitals for emergency medical attention.

Condemning the heinous crime, Aseme Alabo Dagogo Lambert Brown stated that they had received intelligence reports of importation of hoodlums into the community.

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He blamed the Bonny Traditional Authorities of sponsoring a faction of Tobin House to cause mayhem.

He called on law enforcement agencies to urgently investigate the matter and bring perpetrators.

Transcript of the attached voice.

“It is very painful and regretful of what I see today in Finima.

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We have envisaged this. We live in the community, we have the intelligence, information is coming here and there, and we communicated same intelligence to the security agencies that we are having mercenaries imported into Finima for the sake of a strange event that wants to happen.

Must all of us die because one faction of the Tobin house in Finima, being sponsored by the Bonny Traditional Authorities, wants to perform things that are strange in Finima?

God will never allow that to happen. God will never allow—we saw it. All this happening is to intimidate me and my people for saying this is not how we are living as a people. We live as one people. All the cultural institutions are in full participation by the chieftaincy houses in Finima. There’s no separation.

Why? Because we want to avoid any rivalry group or things that will cause disunity in Finima. That is how our upgrowing—that’s how we’ve grown up in Finima.

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And these are one of the outcomes, very regretful. I want to appeal to the law enforcement agencies today that people behind this heinous act are culprits—people, culprits to this heinous act—are arrested and prosecuted.

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Photos: 15 years after, Apo-Karshi Road for inauguration in December – Wike

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Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr Nyesom Wike, says the long-delayed Apo-Karshi road will finally be completed and handed over by November, putting an end to a 15-year wait for residents in the axis.

Wike gave the assurance in Abuja on Saturday, after inspecting the progress of the project as well as the 14-kilometre Bwari Kubwa Road.

He explained that the 13.5-kilometer road, originally awarded in 2011 under previous administrations, has been a major point of frustration for motorists experiencing daily traffic congestion between satellite communities and the Abuja city center.

He explained that the current administration was forced to revoke the original contract due to persistent delays and re-award it to construction firm SCC Nigeria Ltd.

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“The Apo-Karshi road has been a topical issue. It was awarded in 2010, one of those projects President Bola Tinubu inherited.

“Because of its importance and the complaints by residents, we had to terminate the contract and award it to SCC, which we know has the capacity to complete the job.

“Residents who have been crying for years can now see that this government has come to their aid,” he said.

The minister praised the contractor for maintaining progress on-site regardless of funding cycles, reaffirming the government’s commitment to honoring its financial obligations.

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The minister also inspected the ongoing construction of the 14-kilometre Bwari-Kubwa road, stressing that the contractor had promised to deliver the critical road in December.

He emphasised that the tangible delivery of infrastructure projects serves as the strongest argument for the administration’s governance model, downplaying traditional political campaigning in favor of visible results.

“When people ask me about campaigns, I say, ‘What is campaign? See the campaign. Campaign is about what you have done for the people and what the government has to show.

“It is not about promises; it is about taking action that positively impacts lives,” he said.

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With multiple road networks approaching completion across the FCT, the minister expressed confidence that the administration would surpass its initial 10 projects target for inauguration between December and January 2027.

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BREAKING: 38 year former world champion boxer, Zolani Tete shot dead in South Africa

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Ex-world champion boxer Zolani Tete has been shot dead outside his home in South Africa at the age of 38.

This ugly development happened in Mdantsane, Eastern Cape, as Zolani Tete arrived at his residence and waited for the gate to open.

According to the police, two armed men wearing balaclavas stepped out of a vehicle and opened fire on the boxer.

A 27-year-old woman who was travelling with Tete was also shot several times and taken to hospital for treatment.

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South Africa’s Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie, confirmed Tete’s death on Friday.

McKenzie expressed caution over speculation about the motive behind the attack, saying “I will not speculate about who did this or why.”

Police have launched an investigation, but no motive has been established and no details about possible suspects have been released.

Zolani Tete , who was nicknamed “Last Born”, became widely known in boxing for his remarkable 11-second knockout of fellow South African Siboniso Gonya in Belfast in November 2017.

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The knockout remains one of the fastest stoppages in a world title fight.

Tete achieved it while defending his WBO bantamweight title, which he had won earlier that year and held until 2019.

The southpaw boxer had previously captured the IBF junior-bantamweight title in 2014 after defeating Japan’s Teiru Kinoshita in Kobe.

Earlier in his career, Tete had also held the minor WBF flyweight title.

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Zolani Tete’s death came only weeks after he completed a four-year ban from boxing following a positive test for the banned anabolic steroid stanozolol after his 2022 bout against Jason Cunningham.

His suspension ended on July 29, and he had been preparing to make a return to professional boxing before his death.

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