UK aid cuts hit Commonwealth countries and nature funding

UK funding for Commonwealth nations that previously received bilateral aid is projected to drop from £546m in 2024-25 to £131m in 2028-29, according to an analysis seen by the Guardian. Nigeria would receive £68m of the remaining total. The reported reductions coincide with the Commonwealth heads of government meeting in Antigua.

Sierra Leone and Rwanda would each see funding fall from nearly £30m to £5m over that period. At least 26 Commonwealth countries have also been excluded from Darwin Initiative nature funding, the newspaper reported. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said a smaller aid budget required fewer, higher-impact investments, while maintaining roughly a third of its total aid spending in sub-Saharan Africa.

The reductions extend beyond countries the UK considers rapidly developing to poorer nations and those carrying heavy debts, the Guardian reports. Nature campaigners highlight the overlap between biodiversity and poverty in affected countries. The bilateral figures do not represent all UK assistance: the government also points to multilateral funding through institutions including the World Bank.