A controversial U.S.-funded media training programme in Nigeria through the International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR), which was designed to shape narratives against last year’s #EndBadGovernance protests, has been abruptly cancelled following a report by West Africa Weekly and a shift in U.S. foreign policy under President Donald Trump’s new administration.
The programme, “Countering AI-Enhanced Malign Influence in Nigeria”, was set to train 120 journalists, social media influencers, and civic actors across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
It was initially funded by the U.S. Embassy in Abuja and other Western-backed organisations, including the Open Society Initiative for West Africa and the National Endowment for Democracy (NED).
However, WAW revealed that the training aimed to promote paid propaganda for the U.S. government and discredit anti-government protests by portraying them as the result of Russian or Chinese interference.
Following the exposé by WAW’s Editor-in-Chief David Hundeyin, the ICIR, which was facilitating the project, quickly disabled links to the call for applications and removed the list of shortlisted candidates.
The fallout from the revelations coincided with a shift in U.S. foreign policy under President Donald Trump, who returned to office in January 2025.
Trump’s administration has since prioritised reducing foreign aid and cutting funding for programmes that interfere with other nation’s internal affairs. In light of this change, the U.S. Embassy in Abuja confirmed that the project had been put on hold and was unlikely to continue.
In an official statement to applicants, the organisers cited “shifts in U.S. foreign policies and national priorities” as the reason for halting the program.
Many Nigerians have taken to online platforms to question the motives behind such programmes and call for greater transparency in foreign-funded initiatives.
