The United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Richard Mills, has said that there is no evidence that the United States Agency for International Development is funding Boko Haram or any other terrorist group.
The Ambassador stated this position when he spoke with newsmen after meeting with the Nigeria Governors Forum in Abuja.
Mills spoke late on Wednesday after Congressman Scott Perry on February 13, 2025 accused USAID of funding terrorist groups, including Boko Haram.
The Ambassador, who was asked by newsmen to respond to the allegation, told newsmen in Abuja on Wednesday night: “Let me be clear: There is no friend of Nigeria stronger in condemning Boko Haram’s violence and disregard for human life than the United States.
“We have designated Boko Haram as a foreign terrorist organisation since 2013, blocking the group from transferring assets to the US and allowing us to arrest and seize its members.
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“We cooperate in investigations with the Nigerian Government.
“I can assure you that we have strict policies and procedures to ensure that USAID funding or any other US assistance, whether from USAID, the Department of Defence, or the State Department, is not diverted to terrorist groups like Boko Haram.
“There is absolutely no evidence of such diversion, and if we ever had evidence that any programme funding was being misused by Boko Haram, we would immediately investigate it with our Nigerian partners.
“So, when it comes to Boko Haram, the United States stands with Nigeria in wanting to rid this country of the scourge that this organisation represents.”
On the report that President Donald Trump’s administration had cut assistance to Nigeria and other countries, Mills said: “No assistance has been cut yet, and no decisions have been made about the future of our assistance.
“In fact, US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, has said that this is not about ending foreign assistance to our partners like Nigeria.
“It’s about making our assistance more effective and aligning it with US Government policies and interests.
“That’s what this 90-day pause is for.
“However, there are waivers for life-saving assistance such as support for HIV patients, maternal and child nutrition, and internally displaced people.
“So that continues.
“In 90 days, we will know where we stand.”
On issues discussed with the NGF, Mills said: “I explained to them that we are going to focus on four key priorities in the coming years.
“The first is improving the business environment to increase trade and investment between the United States and Nigeria.
“Second, a renewed focus on improving transparency and accountability in Nigeria, fighting corruption, and empowering Nigerian voices advocating for more transparency.
“Third, we want to be more engaged at the subnational level, at the state level, and with local governing authorities.
“I believe the embassy needs to engage more in this area as we develop our programs and assistance.
“Lastly, we discussed our health care programmes, which are a large part of US assistance to Nigeria.
“As these programmes succeed, such as reducing HIV cases and eradicating polio, we want to ensure their sustainability and transition them to the Nigerian government at the federal and state levels.”
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