Impact of Funding Cuts in Benin

A conversation with community leaders and local aid professionals on the brutal impact on the sector and the need for structural change.

On March 20, 2025, Kuja hosted its first webinar on our newly launched site! Panelists Bio Yacoubou Bassirou, Moustaphaou Imorou, Djalidou Aboudou Salifou, and Kader Abdel Sabi Pate—local Benin activists and aid professionals—presented the brutal impact of the USAID funding freeze on Benin. Their firsthand insights shed light on how these cuts have affected communities.

When the Kuja team first spoke to the panelists, they were hopeful the funding stop would be temporary. However, by the time of the webinar, they had come to terms with the reality that their projects had been permanently eliminated. Like many local leaders across the Global South, they are now navigating the loss of stability and working to adjust despite the immense challenges.

The Impact on Benin

Francophone Africa is often overlooked in global aid, and Benin was already receiving limited funding—only $77 million from USAID in 2024. Additional support came from the United States African Development Fund (USADF) and the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC). The Benin panelists shared how their past projects had directly impacted nearly four million people and indirectly influenced about 65% of the population. With the sudden withdrawal of U.S. aid, the consequences have been devastating across multiple sectors, from health and infrastructure to economic development and national security.

Bio, one of the panelists, described this as a “‘cascade effect,” warning of an impending national famine and extreme poverty. For local aid workers, the crisis is compounded by the lack of a safety net and the responsibility of supporting large families. Despite these setbacks, the panelists shared how they are actively seeking alternative funding sources and exploring in-country and African-based resources to sustain their work.

At the end of the discussion, Kader captured the sentiment of many Global South leaders facing funding uncertainty:

“It is time that each African wakes up and takes care of his own… Our allies from whom we had hoped support, cut their ties with us at a time when we needed them the most… We are planning the future with the resources that we can marshal, and we will do what we need to do little by little. Africans will work together to build Africa’s future.”

Kuja’s webinar underscored the resilience of local organizations and leaders. As aid dynamics continue to shift, these voices must remain at the forefront of conversations about sustainable solutions for the Global South.

Watch the Recording: 

https://youtu.be/oSIEUWmD79s?si=4MBc10iTJCq5xyNo

Speakers: 

Abdel Kader Sabi Pate: 
Capacity Building and Management of Infrastructure and Equipment for SMEs: “with the USADF program” expert.

Agro-economist and project manager specializing in capacity building, innovation, and agricultural project management. Born on December 4, 1990, he has expertise in areas such as agroecology, agricultural advisory services, agricultural cluster value chain management, and environmental protection. He has worked on major projects, including with UNDP, USADF, and CORAF, where he contributed to the resilience of farming communities in the face of climate change and the development of financing strategies for climate-smart agriculture in West Africa.

Aboudou Djalidou Salifou: 
Countering Violent Extremism & Natural Resources Management Specialist

Expert in project management, peacebuilding, and sustainable development, with over 10 years of experience in the NGO and humanitarian sectors. He holds a PhD in Sustainable Natural Resource Management. Specializing in social cohesion, youth and women's empowerment, and sustainable ecosystem management, he has successfully led strategic initiatives to promote the resilience of vulnerable communities. His commitment has led him to design, implement, and evaluate large-scale projects funded by renowned donors such as USAID, UNDP, and the World Bank.

Imorou Moustaphaou: 
Specialist in Agroecology and Biodiversity Conservation
After his basic training in Agronomy (specialty: Management of forests and protected areas), Moustaphaou benefits from more than 10 years of practical experience in forest ecology, biodiversity preservation and resilient agriculture with a focus on social standards, having held several positions, the most recent of which is that of Expert in Ecology and Biodiversity with the company GINGER SOFRECO within the framework of “Consultant Services in Program Management and Social Environmental Management” under MCC funding.

M. Bio Yacoubou Bassirou:
Founder of Maison des Tortues, a Civil Society Network for Civil Society Organizations for the protection of the environment

A leading African activist, advisor and expert in conservation, community mobilization as well as in resource and organizational development, M. Bassirou is a Founding Member of Maison des Tortues, a network of civil society organizations focused on conservation and environmental protection