The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) plays a key role in global development, funding life-saving programs in health, food security, and poverty alleviation. However, in recent years, particularly during the Trump administration, some U.S. foreign policies created significant barriers for nonprofit organizations around the world. These shifts reshaped the global nonprofit landscape, impacting how organizations operate and partner internationally.

While Lagos Food Bank Initiative (LFBI) is not directly funded by the U.S. government, policy changes from major donors like USAID often have ripple effects. Some of our international partners and prospective donors had to adjust their giving strategies or scale down global partnerships to comply with evolving U.S. regulations. These shifts ultimately influenced the availability of support for frontline nonprofits like ours working to fight hunger and poverty in underserved communities.

During the Trump administration, USAID and other global aid programs faced significant scrutiny. There was an initial 90-day freeze on foreign aid, which delayed funding across sectors. Some programs, including health and nutrition, saw reductions of up to 17%, affecting services in low-income countries.

Critics argued that this was not just budget-cutting, but a disruption of life-saving assistance. Organizations focused on food aid and public health were among the hardest hit.

Legal actions were even filed in the U.S., with debates about whether USAID changes required Senate confirmation, especially when involving public-private partnerships. Others estimated that these restrictions could lead to thousands of preventable deaths, especially in places already battling famine, poverty, and fragile health systems.

How It Affects Us as a Food Bank

Nonprofits like LFBI (Lagos Food Bank Initiative) rely on both international donors and local partners to support vulnerable populations with essential services like food, nutrition, and medical outreach. But due to policy-driven funding cuts and tighter restrictions placed on U.S.-based donors, many funding channels have narrowed. This means:

• Some of our long-standing funders are now less flexible or unable to support certain programs.
• Local implementing partners who previously received support from large international NGOs are left with resource gaps.
• Critical food aid, development initiatives, and operational costs are harder to sustain long-term.

This has a direct effect on us:

• Feeding programs face delays or scaling-down.
• Nutrition and outreach efforts become harder to sustain.
• And worst of all, the communities we serve – children, pregnant women, and the elderly are put at greater risk.

This situation becomes even more urgent when you consider that Lagos Food Bank’s target population includes underserved communities, children suffering from malnutrition, pregnant women, and elderly citizens—groups that are particularly vulnerable during times of economic strain.

Ripple Effects on Funders and Local Partners

The impact isn’t just felt at the top. Many grassroots organizations, community health programs, and volunteer initiatives that we collaborate with are also facing shortfalls. This creates a ripple effect, weakening the entire nonprofit support network and making food insecurity harder to tackle.

These policy decisions have created a domino effect:

• Funders once flexible now face restrictions.
• NGOs with shared goals can no longer collaborate freely.
• Resources for food security programs are drying up, not because of local failure, but global politics.

Lagos Food Bank, like many African nonprofits, stands in the gap between food waste and starvation, between surplus and suffering. But without consistent partnership and unrestricted support, our ability to serve is compromised.

A Call to the Global Community and to You

At LFBI, we believe that sustainable partnerships and diversified funding models are key to overcoming these challenges. We’re actively working to:

• Engage more local philanthropists and corporate sponsors to step into the gap.
• Strengthen our volunteer programs and community outreach models.
• Diversify our donor base, while ensuring transparency and impact.

What You Can Do

We believe in solutions, not silence. Here’s how you can help:

• Donate to LFBI, your support helps feed real people every week.

• Partner with us as an organization, school, or corporate body to sponsor a food drive, outreach program, or nutritional education campaign.

• Share our mission with your network, amplify our voice.
• Advocate for policies that protect and empower NGOs globally, especially those working in critical sectors like health, education, and food security.

A Piece That Speaks to the Court: How U.S. Foreign Policies Impact LFBI

If we were to present our case before the global court of public opinion, we would say this:

Lagos Food Bank Initiative (LFBI) is not just feeding mouths, we are preserving dignity, reducing malnutrition, and fighting poverty at its roots. But global policy decisions, particularly from major donors like the United States, are reshaping how we survive, grow, and serve.

During the Trump administration, policies like the Global Gag Rule were reinstated, placing strict limitations on how U.S. funds could be used by foreign NGOs. While LFBI doesn’t operate in the reproductive health space, these policies caused widespread ripple effects across the entire development space, cutting off funding, silencing some of our partner NGOs, and forcing others to choose between integrity and survival.

Some of our international funders were forced to freeze or limit grants. Others changed their priorities to avoid conflict with U.S. policy. Our local partners who depended on larger global networks were also left struggling, and in turn, our supply chains, outreach efforts, and food distribution programs have been strained.

This isn’t just a funding issue, it’s about fairness, it’s about food and it’s about lives. When a policy created thousands of miles away affects whether a malnourished child in Lagos gets a meal, we must speak up. When global decisions threaten the very foundation of local solutions, we must be heard.

We urge decision-makers, donors, advocates, and friends to:

• See the real impact these policies have on grassroots efforts like ours.
• Partner with us directly, bypassing barriers and supporting what works.
• Advocate for foreign policies that empower, not silence, local NGOs.
• Join us in building a resilient food system, free from the politics of distant nations because hunger has no borders, and neither should compassion.

Final Word

Hunger knows no politics.

Food security should know no borders. We urge the global community – funders, policymakers, partners, and friends to recognize the impact of these restrictions and work with us to build a food system that’s resilient, inclusive, and locally led.

Because every meal counts. Every partnership matters. Every voice makes a difference.

Support Our Mission:

To partner with or support Lagos Food Bank, send an email to: partnership@lagosfoodbank.org or call 07058617222

You can also make a donation to our various programs via any of the accounts below:

Account Name: LAGOS FOOD BANK INITIATIVE

0463977946 – GTB

1016014957 – ZENITH BANK

1020057249 – UBA

1907360767 – ACCESS BANK

0106793890 – UNION BANK

0002221706 – STANDARD CHARTERED

For GTB account holders, you can donate using USSD CODE by dialing *737*35*amount*9222# (i.e. *737*35*2000*9222).

For international donations:

Pay stack: https://paystack.com/pay/lfbidonation

Flutter wave: https://dashboard.flutterwave.com/donate/aqdmbybezcix