7 Facts About Illegal Payments at USAID Nigeria

USAID Nigeria: The $48 Million Question—Where Did the Money Go?

A recent investigative report by journalist David Hundeyin has uncovered troubling financial transactions involving USAID Nigeria, raising serious questions about corruption, money laundering, and the misuse of U.S. taxpayer funds. 

The findings suggest a pattern of unexplained payments, vague accounting, and outright defiance of presidential orders.

At the center of this controversy is a company called DAI Global LLC, which has received at least $48 million in USAID funds between 2020 and 2025. Despite being categorized as a “climate NGO,” its actual contributions in Nigeria remain unclear, leading to speculation about whether it serves as a front for financial mismanagement—or something more sinister.

Beyond the payments to DAI Global LLC, the investigation also uncovered nearly $800,000 in USAID funds sent to “UNDISCLOSED” or “MISCELLANEOUS” recipients in Nigeria, some of which were issued after a direct order from then-President Donald Trump to halt all USAID payments.

These revelations demand urgent scrutiny. Here’s a breakdown of the key issues raised by Hundeyin’s findings:

USAID Paid DAI Global LLC $3.3 Million Just Before Trump’s Inauguration

On January 16, 2025—just four days before Donald Trump was sworn in as President—USAID made a $3.3 million payment to DAI Global LLC, a vendor operating in Nigeria. The timing of this transaction raises serious concerns.

Why was this payment rushed through so close to a change in administration? Was it an effort to secure funding before policy changes could take effect? These are questions that remain unanswered.

Over $48 Million Funneled to a Maryland-Based Company

Between August 2020 and January 2025, at least $48 million in USAID funds, supposedly allocated for development in Nigeria, was sent to DAI Global LLC, a company registered in Bethesda, Maryland.

Given the massive amount of money involved, one would expect a clear breakdown of how these funds were used to benefit Nigerians. Instead, the payments are largely categorized under “ALL OTHER PROFESSIONAL, SCIENTIFIC, AND TECHNICAL SERVICES,” a vague classification that provides no insight into their purpose.

What Exactly Does DAI Global LLC Do in Nigeria?

Publicly, DAI Global LLC presents itself as a climate NGO engaged in development work. However, an examination of its actual activities in Nigeria paints a very different picture.

• The organization’s output in Nigeria appears minimal—its last published work in the country dates back to 2020.
• Its primary activities seem to revolve around organizing meetings, holding seminars, and taking photos with politicians—hardly justifying the tens of millions of dollars it has received.
• The lack of clear, verifiable impact raises the possibility that DAI Global LLC could be a money laundering vehicle, a CIA front, or a State Department slush fund.

If USAID is genuinely funding development efforts, where is the progress?

Suspicious Transactions: $799,000 Sent to “Undisclosed” Recipients

Beyond the DAI Global LLC payments, another troubling revelation emerged: since January 20, 2025, USAID has sent at least $799,000 to recipients in Nigeria under suspicious labels such as “UNDISCLOSED” and “MISCELLANEOUS”.

These transactions, which provide no clarity on who received the funds or why, raise significant concerns about transparency and accountability.

Who were these undisclosed recipients? Why was nearly $800,000 funneled to unknown entities under ambiguous descriptions?

USAID Defied a Direct Order from President Trump

Perhaps the most damning part of this report is that USAID Nigeria appears to have directly ignored an order from the U.S. President.

On January 28, 2025, President Trump issued a clear directive to halt all USAID payments. Yet, within the next 24 hours, USAID Nigeria hurriedly pushed out $446,000 in eight separate payments—all to recipients labeled as “UNDISCLOSED”.

This blatant defiance suggests that these payments were:

1. Pre-planned and possibly part of a larger agenda
2. So critical that USAID Nigeria felt the need to defy a presidential order to ensure they went through
3. Potentially illegal, given they occurred after the instruction to halt disbursements

What was so urgent that USAID had to rush out half a million dollars after being explicitly told to stop?

Who Will Hold USAID Accountable?

The findings in this investigation are deeply troubling:

• $48 million in taxpayer money funneled to a company with minimal output in Nigeria
• Nearly $800,000 in funds sent to undisclosed recipients
• Defiance of a direct presidential order to halt payments

At best, this represents gross financial mismanagement. At worst, it suggests a deliberate effort to move money through Nigeria for purposes that remain hidden from public scrutiny. Whether these funds were misused, laundered, or directed toward covert activities, one thing is clear: USAID Nigeria’s financial dealings demand a full-scale investigation.