A former deputy governor on the Central Bank of Nigeria, Kingsley Moghalu, has advised African countries to make funding for healthcare from their own resources a priority rather than relying on foreign aid.
Moghalu, who gave the advice in a post on his X handle, noted that reliance on foreign aid for healthcare is far from wisdom.
According to him, the aid many African countries receive is way less than the resources that are wasted on the comfort of politicians or corruptly misappropriated.
The comments of the former presidential candidate come in the wake of US President Donald Trump’s withdrawal of the United States from the World Health Organisation.
He described the move as a “wake-up call” for African nations to take responsibility for their healthcare systems.
“African countries must make funding for healthcare from their own resources a priority. Reliance on foreign aid for healthcare interventions is not wisdom,” Moghalu stated.
“President Trump’s withdrawal of the U.S. from @WHO is a wake-up call. African countries CAN fund their own healthcare.
“Many simply have the wrong priorities. What many African countries receive in aid is nothing compared to the resources that are wasted on the comfort of politicians or corruptly misappropriated. There are, of course, countries that are exceptions to this”
Immediately after inauguration, Trump signed an executive order directing the United States to withdraw from the World Health Organization (WHO), a body he has repeatedly criticized over its handling of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Speaking at the White House hours after his inauguration, Trump said the United States was paying far more to the UN body compared to China, adding: “World Health ripped us off.”
The United States, the largest donor to the Geneva-based organization, provides substantial financial support that is vital to the WHO’s operations.
Its withdrawal is expected to trigger a significant restructuring of the institution and could further disrupt global health initiatives.