The Dutch government has announced sweeping changes to its development aid strategy, focusing on national economic and security interests over traditional aid programs.
The move comes just weeks after U.S. President Donald Trump significantly reduced American aid to Africa, signaling a broader trend among Western nations to scale back foreign assistance in favor of domestic priorities.
Authorities in the northwestern European country revealed plans to cut its annual development aid budget by €2.4 billion starting in 2027, reducing the total budget from €6.1 billion to €3.8 billion. This represents a decline in development aid as a percentage of Gross National Income (GNI) from 0.62% in 2024 to 0.44% by 2029. The cuts are part of a broader strategy to align development aid more closely with Dutch economic, trade, and migration policies.
The new policy framework which was presented at the country’s house of representatives Thursday, takes a more selective approach to development aid, with a focus on areas that directly benefit the Netherlands. Key priorities include water management, food security, and health, particularly maternal and child healthcare. The Netherlands will leverage its expertise in water infrastructure and coastal protection, while also strengthening Dutch agribusiness supply chains in developing regions.
Dutch government ditches support for gender equality, education, and climate initiatives
The Dutch government will phase out funding for gender equality programs, including support for UN Women. Vocational and higher education programs in Africa will also be discontinued, along with funding for sports and cultural projects. Climate-related funding will see significant reductions, particularly for small-scale renewable energy projects and regional climate funds. Additionally, support for civil society and NGOs will be scaled back, with a shift toward locally-led projects.
Priority on migration control
Development aid will be concentrated on a limited number of countries, primarily in Europe’s neighboring regions, including West Africa, the Horn of Africa, and North Africa & the Middle East (MENA). Programs outside these priority regions, such as those in the Great Lakes region of Africa, will be phased out. Migration control has also been identified as a core objective, with aid linked to agreements aimed at curbing irregular migration. The Netherlands plans to invest more in regional refugee assistance programs and strengthen migration cooperation with key transit and origin countries, such as Morocco and Uganda.
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“The government wants to make agreements with migration countries, aimed at combating migration and encouraging return,” Reinette Klever, Netherlands’ minister for foreign trade and development, said on the country’s website Thursday.
Greater incentives for Dutch businesses
The new policy framework also includes stronger ties between development aid and Dutch businesses, particularly in infrastructure, agriculture, and water sectors. The government will provide greater incentives for Dutch companies to secure international contracts through public-private partnerships and explore concessional loans to finance projects involving Dutch companies.
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“We will give Dutch businesses more opportunity to win development contracts,” Klever said. “And we’ll help the countries concerned to develop into trading partners, which will be good for their economies and employment figures.”
Reduced humanitarian aid
While humanitarian assistance will remain a priority, funding for UN humanitarian agencies like UNICEF and the Red Cross will see reductions. The UNDP and UNICEF will face funding cuts of about 50%, reflecting the government’s more selective approach to multilateral aid.
Temi Bamgbose is a new-generation media professional who has an intimate understanding of new and emerging media communications elements. He possesses a degree in Agricultural Extension and Rural Development from the University of Ibadan. He holds a Diploma in Electrical Electronics Engineering from the Moshood Abiola Polytechnic and a Journalism Diploma from the London School of Journalism. His career as a multimedia journalist saw him working with several online news platforms including The Punch -- the most widely read Nigerian newspaper -- where he won, along with his team of two, the 2017 season of the Global Editors Network NAN Editors Lab innovation competition. Temi has also worked with a number of public relations agencies. He also worked extensively on communications accounts of multinational brands. He is a wildlife conservation enthusiast.
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