Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The United States House Appropriations Committee on Wednesday, 29 April 2026, advanced an appropriations bill for the fiscal year 2027 that could drastically change the terms of American financial assistance to Nigeria. The measure, part of the Fiscal Year 2027 National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Appropriations Bill, does not set a specific dollar amount for Nigeria but introduces a conditional funding structure that would withhold 50 per cent of any assistance earmarked for the central government until the Secretary of State certifies that Abuja is taking what the legislation calls “effective steps” to prevent violence, protect civilians, and hold perpetrators accountable. The broader bill, which must still pass the full House and Senate and be signed by President Donald Trump, allocates approximately $47.32 billion for foreign aid and diplomacy, a reduction of roughly 6 per cent from the previous year.
Lawmakers explicitly linked the new restrictions to concerns over religious violence, pointing to attacks attributed to Fulani militia groups and jihadist organisations. The bill states that of the funds appropriated under Titles III and IV of the Act for assistance to the central government of Nigeria, 50 per cent may not be obligated until the Secretary of State certifies that the government is taking effective steps to prevent and respond to violence and hold perpetrators accountable; prioritising resources to support victims, including internally displaced persons; actively facilitating the safe return, resettlement and reconstruction of affected communities; and allocating sufficient resources to meet those conditions. Beyond the certification requirement, the legislation introduces a cost‑sharing provision, requiring that funds be made available on a cost‑matching basis, effectively obligating Nigeria to contribute its own resources for every dollar the United States spends on programmes in the country.
If enacted, Nigeria would be placed under a special watchlist under Section 7015 of the bill, requiring the U.S. administration to notify congressional committees at least 15 days before any money is spent in the country, aligning Nigeria with nations such as Pakistan, Iraq, Ukraine and Sudan that already face elevated congressional scrutiny. The legislation also detailed how any released funds must be used: to support atrocities prevention, including early warning systems; to advance religious freedom; to investigate and prosecute violence committed by Fulani militia groups, jihadist terror groups, and criminal gangs; to improve the effectiveness and accountability of police and security forces in protecting civilians; to deliver humanitarian assistance; to restore basic services in conflict‑affected areas, including through faith‑based and local organisations; and to develop demobilisation, disarmament and reintegration efforts to address illegal weapons trafficking.
The push for stricter conditions follows a series of earlier signals from Washington. In October 2025, President Trump redesignated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) under the International Religious Freedom Act, a classification that the Biden administration had removed in 2021. The CPC label, which requires the State Department to submit an annual report on religious freedom conditions, has been accompanied by sustained congressional pressure. In February 2026, a group of Republican lawmakers introduced the Nigeria Religious Freedom and Accountability Act of 2026 (H.R. 7457), sponsored by Representatives Chris Smith (R‑NJ) and Riley Moore (R‑WV), which would require the State Department to submit a comprehensive report on U.S. efforts to address religious persecution and mass atrocities against Christians in Nigeria, and would also direct the administration to consider designating Fulani ethnic militias as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation. At a hearing of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa in March 2026, Representative Michael McCaul (R‑TX) cited figures suggesting that more than 50,000 Christians had been killed in Nigeria between 2009 and 2025, with thousands of churches attacked or destroyed.
The proposed aid freeze is the most concrete legislative step yet to tie financial assistance directly to performance benchmarks. A committee statement said the bill aims to “hold foreign governments accountable for persecuting people of faith,” adding that assistance to Nigeria would remain restricted until “measurable actions are taken” to protect vulnerable populations. Notably, the restrictions appear to target government‑to‑government funding, earmarking only assistance channelled through the central government; humanitarian aid channelled through non‑governmental organisations and independent agencies would not be captured by the freeze.
The Nigerian government has consistently rejected the framing of its security crisis as religious persecution. Officials have maintained that the country has “no state policy of religious persecution” and that the violence reflects a complex mix of terrorism, banditry and communal conflict rather than a deliberate targeting of Christians by the state. However, the government has also engaged with U.S. counterparts to manage the diplomatic fallout. In January 2026, the first session of the US‑Nigeria Joint Working Group was held in Abuja, co‑chaired by National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu and Under Secretary of State Allison Hooker, focusing on reducing violence against vulnerable groups and strengthening counter‑terrorism cooperation. That working group was established in direct response to Nigeria’s CPC designation.
The appropriations bill has not yet become law. It must pass the full House of Representatives, the Senate, and be signed by the president. With the 2026 midterm elections approaching, the timeline for final enactment remains uncertain. However, the bill’s approval by the Appropriations Committee signals that the idea of conditioning aid on security performance has gained significant traction among key lawmakers and could shape the broader debate over US‑Nigeria relations heading into the 2027 fiscal year.
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