The United States House of Representatives has approved an amendment seeking to halt all American assistance to Nigeria unless the Federal Government demonstrates concrete progress in addressing violence and bringing perpetrators to justice.
The proposal, sponsored by Republican Congressman Gregory Steube, was adopted through a voice vote on Wednesday during consideration of the fiscal year 2027 State Department appropriations bill. The wider spending legislation was subsequently passed by the House in a 217-209 vote that largely followed party lines.
Following the vote, Steube announced the development on his X account, describing the amendment as a move to hold the Nigerian government accountable over the reported persecution of Christians.
“My amendment to withhold 100% 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!”
The amendment revises an earlier provision in the spending bill that proposed withholding 50 per cent of US assistance to Nigeria. Under the original version, funding could only be released after the US Secretary of State certified that Nigeria had taken “effective steps to prevent and respond to violence and hold perpetrators accountable.”
Steube’s amendment increases the funding restriction from 50 per cent to a complete suspension of assistance while retaining the same certification requirements.
Speaking on the House floor before the vote, the Florida lawmaker argued that Nigeria had failed to adequately respond to persistent violence and should not continue receiving American assistance without measurable improvements.
According to him, Nigeria “has faced a horrific wave of violence that its corrupt government has failed to address,” adding that withholding only half of the assistance would amount to rewarding a government that “fails to meet such a basic obligation.”
He stressed that the amendment introduces no additional requirements beyond those already contained in the bill.
“Foreign aid should never be a reward for failure,” Steube said.
The congressman also linked the proposal to America’s fiscal challenges, questioning the rationale for continued financial support to Nigeria “as our national debt is fast approaching $40 trillion.”
Despite its passage in the House, the measure has not yet become law. It must still secure approval from the US Senate before being transmitted to President Donald Trump for assent. Until that legislative process is completed, the House vote does not alter existing US assistance to Nigeria.
The amendment comes amid heightened scrutiny of Nigeria’s security situation in Washington. In 2025, President Donald Trump redesignated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern over allegations relating to the persecution of Christians. Relations between both countries also experienced strain following a US missile strike on Nigerian territory on Christmas Day that year.
Despite those tensions, Nigeria and the United States have since strengthened security cooperation, particularly in efforts aimed at combating terrorist groups operating in the northern part of the country.
(Ripples)