The United States House of Representatives has approved measures seeking to condition American assistance to Nigeria on demonstrable steps by the Federal Government to tackle violence and protect vulnerable communities, including Christians.
The measures were adopted during consideration of the fiscal 2027 State Department spending bill, which the House passed on Wednesday by 217-209 votes, largely along party lines.
A key amendment sponsored by Republican Congressman Gregory Steube raised the proposed restriction on US assistance to Nigeria from 50 per cent to 100 per cent, meaning all funds allocated to the country would be withheld until the Federal Government meets specified conditions.
The original provision in the bill sought to block half of US funding for Nigeria until the Secretary of State certifies that the country has taken “effective steps to prevent and respond to violence and hold perpetrators accountable.”
Steube’s amendment retained the conditions but increased the funding restriction.
Announcing the passage of the amendment on X, Steube said his proposal would prevent American taxpayers from funding a government that, according to him, had failed to stop attacks against Christians.
“My amendment to withhold 100 per cent of U.S. aid to Nigeria until its government stops the slaughter of Christians has passed.
“American taxpayers should never bankroll governments that turn a blind eye while Christians are abducted, tortured, and murdered. No more wasteful foreign aid,” he wrote.
Another Republican lawmaker, Congressman Riley Moore, also said the legislation would tie US assistance to measurable actions by Nigeria to protect Christians and address religious violence.
Moore said the provision was designed to ensure that American support would be linked to progress in defending religious freedom and combating terrorism.
He alleged that Christians in Nigeria had suffered attacks, killings and abductions, claiming that thousands had been killed by extremist groups over the years.
According to Moore, the measure followed investigations into violence against Christians in Nigeria, including visits by US lawmakers to assess the situation.
Steube, while addressing the House, argued that withholding only half of the assistance would amount to rewarding failure, insisting that foreign aid should be tied to accountability.
“Nigeria has faced a horrific wave of violence that its corrupt government has failed to address,” he said.
He added that the amendment did not introduce new requirements but strengthened existing conditions by ensuring that aid would not continue without evidence of action against violence and religious persecution.
The lawmakers maintained that future US assistance to Nigeria should depend on measurable progress in protecting religious minorities, combating terrorism and ensuring accountability for perpetrators of violence.
Steube alleged that Christians and other religious minorities in Nigeria had been subjected to violence, terrorism, abductions and killings by extremist groups operating with impunity.
He argued that if the conditions attached to the bill were significant enough to justify withholding half of U.S. assistance, they were sufficient to justify withholding all assistance until Nigeria met the required standards.
“This is not about punishing the Nigerian people. It is about demanding accountability for their government’s complacency and ensuring that our foreign aid is leveraged to defend, reflect, and uphold American values,” he said.
The measure, however, must still pass through the Senate and receive presidential approval before it can become law. The House vote does not immediately affect ongoing US assistance to Nigeria.
The development follows President Donald Trump’s 2025 redesignation of Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” under the International Religious Freedom Act over allegations of Christian persecution.
On October 31, 2025, Trump, while redesignating Nigeria as a ‘Country of Particular Concern,’ cited years of Christian persecution and directed the U.S. Congress to investigate and report with a recommendation.
The Federal Government, however, denied claims that Christians were being persecuted in the country, insisting that both Christians and Muslims had been victims of attacks by extremists and terrorists.
Nigeria and the United States have since expanded security cooperation, including efforts targeting terrorist groups operating in parts of northern Nigeria.
