The Environmental Fallout of Aid Cuts

Presentation with Robert Bagyenda, Former USAID Team Leader, and Margaret Edison, Former Director of the Nigeria Population Commission

During this webinar, we examined how reductions in international aid are hindering the achievement of sustainable development goals worldwide. Global aid cuts have far-reaching consequences––disrupting progress in environmental protection, biodiversity conservation, and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), especially in regions most vulnerable to climate change.

Featured speakers included Robert Bagyenda, Former USAID Team Leader for the Environment, Engineering, and Climate Unit, who shared how program shutdowns have affected environmental initiatives in Uganda. Additionally, Margaret Edison, Former Director of the Nigeria Population Commission, gave insights into the cascading effects of lost funding across interconnected sectors.

We concluded the webinar with a Q&A session moderated by Population Connection Communications Manager, Olivia Nater.

Date: November 13th, 2025

Robert Bagyenda, Former Team Leader for the Environment, Engineering, and Climate Unit at USAID

Robert Bagyenda is an expert in environmental management, Natural Resources Management, and climate change adaptation. He possesses a proven track record of 28 years of progressive leadership experience. Robert has steered multifaceted and multi-stakeholder projects in Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM), community-based natural resources management, biodiversity conservation, and Climate Change Adaptation.

He worked for 11 years as a Project Management Specialist and Team Leader in the Environment and Climate Change Unit at the USAID in Uganda. He also previously worked for the International Union for Conservation of Nature as a Program Officer (Water and Wetlands), the German Development Agency (GIZ) as a Technical Advisor (IWRM), and the Government of Uganda’s Ministry of Water and Environment as a Regional Wetlands Coordinator. Robert holds a Master’s Degree in Land Use and Regional Development Planning, with a major in wetlands resource assessment and planning. He possesses additional technical skills in Project Management, climate and environmental risk analysis, and mainstreaming.

In his free time, Robert enjoys taking nature walks, traveling, visiting parks and wildlands, and engaging in farming.

Margaret Edison, Former Director of Nigeria’s National Population Commission

Margaret Edison is an international expert in population, development and sustainable growth. As the former Director of the Population Management & Development Department at the National Population Commission of Nigeria, she has led efforts to integrate demographic analysis and rights-based approaches into policy and practice at national and regional levels.

Margaret also served as Chair of the Regional Collaborative Platform for National Population Commissions in Africa (2021–2023), helping to foster cooperation and strengthen capacity across the continent.

Holding a PhD in Economics, she combines rigorous research insight with practical experience shaping interventions that support sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), population dynamics and sustainable development.

The Environmental Fallout of USAID Cuts – Presented by Robert Bagyenda

Q&A

Question from the audience, with response from Margaret Edison, Former Director of Nigeria’s National Population Commission

In your role at the National Population Commission (NPC), did you find a special agreement among Nigeria’s government and Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs) that rapid population growth exacerbates social and environment challenges?
Response from Margaret: Collectively, Nigeria acknowledges with great concern the challenges its rapid population growth, sustained by prevailing high fertility rate exacerbates social and environmental issues.

Collective and Inclusive Action Taken:

i. Nigeria implements a very robust, comprehensive and transformative National Population Policy titled “National Policy on Population for Sustainable Development (NPP)”. The revised version was launched on February 3rd, 2022 by our immediate past/recently late President, Muhammadu Buhari. The overall goal of the NPP is to “improve the quality of life and standard of living for all Nigerians” – by managing our population growth through voluntary, but responsible reproduction that guarantee harnessing demographic dividend and achieving sustainable development.

The NPP review was prompted by the inception of the SDGs in 2015 (which replaced the MDGs); the further actions to address the ICPD Programme of Action unfinished agenda and unfulfilled promises to women and girls made at Cairo (1994), 20 years after (2014); as well as other distinct United Nations (UN) Agreements that shaped changes in the Population and Development landscape. The NPP targets are benched-marked by the SDGs targets with end dates at 2030.

The implementation of the NPP has a well-constructive institutional framework that creates a rallying point of engagements at three (3) levels. The level that respond to the question of interest is – The Population Technical Working Group (PTWG). The PTWG brings together all the relevant sectoral implementing agencies of the government, the NGOs, partners and research institutions. The PTWG chaired by the Director General of the NPC and has the overarching assignment of promoting family planning in order to slow down our rapid population growth; reduce the total fertility rate (TFR) for Nigeria to attain a significant demographic transition that would create an opportunity for achieving both DD and sustainable development.

ii. Another active platform of agreement is the National Reproductive Health Technical Working Growth (NRHTWG – led by the Ministry of Health & Social Welfare), which convenes both relevant government agencies, NGOs and partners to promote the essence of family planning concerning our rapid population growth, women and girls’ health in order to manage our population growth.

iii. The NPC also, convenes one of the largest Community of Practice (CoP) on Demographic Dividend in Africa, with the interest to achieve both the necessary and sufficient conditions (reducing our high fertility rate matched with smart and timely policies) to achieve demographic transition.

In conclusion, yes, there exist an agreement and working relationships that, indeed rapid population growth exacerbates social and environmental challenges. The PTWG, NRHTWG and the DD CoP holistically and sustainably addresses the noted challenge, etc.