Senator Ali Ndume has asserted that Nigeria should not rely on foreign aid, emphasising that the country has enough resources to support its citizens and even assist others.
Speaking on Channels Television, the senator representing Borno South stressed that Nigeria’s problem is not a lack of resources but poor leadership.
“What I’m saying is that the security and welfare of Nigerian citizens is the responsibility of the government. It is not the responsibility of any other government or any other country,” Ndume said.
He called for a shift in mindset, urging Nigeria to become a donor nation rather than a recipient of aid.
“This is like a wake-up call for all of us to stand up. We have everything. The only problem is in the leadership,” he added.
His comments come in the wake of the Trump administration’s decision to shut down the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), branding it a “criminal organisation.”
Elon Musk, a key Trump ally and head of the newly established Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), condemned the agency, calling it a “viper’s nest of radical-left Marxists.”
Additionally, U.S. Congressman Scott Perry accused USAID of funding terrorist organisations, alleging that the agency allocated $136 million for constructing schools in Pakistan while neglecting accountability.
Ndume lamented Nigeria’s declining appeal to foreigners, recalling a time when expatriates sought jobs in the country.
“Now Nigerians are struggling to go outside the country to be slaves, doing dirty jobs to survive,” he said.
The senator urged Nigerians to take charge of the country’s future by demanding better leadership.
