Kingsley Moghalu, former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, has urged African nations to prioritize funding for healthcare from domestic resources instead of relying on foreign aid. Moghalu, who shared this advice on his X (formerly Twitter) account, criticized the practice of depending on foreign aid for healthcare, calling it unwise.

He emphasized that the aid many African countries receive is minimal compared to the funds squandered on political elites or misappropriated due to corruption. His comments come in the wake of former U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw the United States from the World Health Organization (WHO).

Moghalu framed Trump's withdrawal as a “wake-up call” for African countries, urging them to take full responsibility for their healthcare systems. He stated, “African countries must make funding for healthcare from their own resources a priority. Reliance on foreign aid for healthcare interventions is not wisdom.”

He further pointed out that “many African countries have the wrong priorities” and that the funds wasted on political comfort and corruption far exceed the amount received through aid. He added, “There are, of course, countries that are exceptions to this.”

Trump’s decision to pull the U.S. out of the WHO was part of his broader criticism of the organization, especially regarding its response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Trump argued that the U.S. was unfairly contributing more to the WHO’s budget than China and described the organization’s handling of the pandemic as flawed.

The U.S. had been the largest contributor to the WHO, and its withdrawal is expected to have a significant impact on the organization’s financial stability and its global health efforts.

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