The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) have agreed to strengthen collaboration in investigating the alleged diversion and mismanagement of funds provided under United States government-supported programmes in Nigeria.
The decision was reached on Thursday, September 10, 2026, when Marcus Maccain, Assistant Law Enforcement Attaché of the FBI, led a delegation on a courtesy visit to the office of the Acting Zonal Director of the EFCC’s Lagos Zonal Directorate 2, Assistant Commander of the EFCC, ACE I Bawa Usman Kaltungo.
Speaking during the meeting, Maccain said the visit was aimed at strengthening cooperation in investigating alleged financial irregularities involving organisations that received funds under programmes supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
He said the investigation would particularly focus on programmes connected with HIV and tuberculosis interventions.
Maccain said the engagement became necessary following the shutdown of some USAID programmes by the United States Government in 2025.
According to him, the development raised concerns about the management of funds that remained with some implementing organisations after the programmes were discontinued.
He said some organisations were suspected of mismanaging or allegedly diverting funds provided to them before the programmes were terminated.
“We are seeking stronger engagement with the EFCC to establish how the funds were managed and identify possible financial misconduct arising from the termination of the programmes,” Maccain said.
Also speaking, Jeremy Kennon, Special Agent with the Office of Inspector General, Department of State, said the United States and Nigerian governments had previously entered into an agreement to support efforts to combat HIV and tuberculosis.
He said the Department of State and the Nigerian Government provided funding to organisations implementing the programmes, with some organisations establishing one-stop centres for HIV treatment.
Kennon, however, said subsequent reviews uncovered concerns over inflated budgets and other financial irregularities in Kano State and several other states.
He stressed that the concerns were not limited to Kano or Nigeria, noting that similar issues had been identified in different parts of the world.
Kennon said the FBI was interested in developing a long-term working relationship with the EFCC on the investigation, including reciprocal information sharing.
“We’ll like to work with the EFCC on this on a long-term basis, and we’ll be sharing information with you; not just getting information from you,” Kennon said.
Responding, Kaltungo welcomed the delegation on behalf of EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede and described the relationship between Nigeria and the United States as “a long-standing one, particularly in the area of law enforcement cooperation.”
He assured the delegation that the EFCC would investigate allegations surrounding the diversion or mismanagement of USAID funds across Nigeria and trace the movement of the funds to their ultimate beneficiaries.
According to Kaltungo, tracing the funds and identifying the beneficiaries would enable investigators to establish “how the money was spent; whether it was deployed for the purposes for which it was provided and whether any portion was mismanaged or diverted following the cancellation of the programmes.”
He said the investigation would be coordinated and cover all states where the affected organisations and programmes operated.
Kaltungo added that the EFCC would work with the FBI to follow the financial trail and establish the facts surrounding the alleged diversion of the funds.
