Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The United States House of Representatives has approved an amendment to withhold 100 per cent of US assistance to Nigeria until the country takes effective steps to address violence and protect Christian communities, marking a significant escalation in congressional pressure on the Nigerian government over allegations of religious persecution. The amendment, sponsored by Congressman Gregory Steube of Florida's 17th Congressional District, was adopted by a voice vote on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, and was added to the fiscal 2027 State Department spending bill, which the House later passed by a vote of 217 to 209 largely along party lines.
The underlying bill had originally proposed withholding 50 per cent of funds appropriated for Nigeria until the US Secretary of State certifies that the country has taken "effective steps to prevent and respond to violence and hold perpetrators accountable". Steube's amendment raises that threshold to 100 per cent while leaving the certification conditions unchanged. Announcing the vote on X, the congressman wrote: "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!".
On the House floor, Steube argued that Nigeria "has faced a horrific wave of violence that its corrupt government has failed to address," and that withholding only half the funding would amount to rewarding a government that "fails to meet such a basic obligation". He stressed that the amendment does not add new conditions but "only strengthens" the existing ones, framing it as a matter of accountability. "Foreign aid should never be a reward for failure," he said. The lawmaker also linked his push to America's finances, questioning why the country should keep sending money to Nigeria "as our national debt is fast approaching $40 trillion".
The vote comes after President Donald Trump redesignated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern in 2025 over allegations of Christian persecution, and after a US missile strike on Nigerian territory on Christmas Day drew tension between the two countries. The two nations have since entered a security partnership targeting terrorist groups in the north. The measure still has to clear the Senate and be signed by the president before it can take effect, meaning Wednesday's vote does not immediately change US funding to Nigeria.
Representative Riley Moore, who also championed the provision, had previously accused the Nigerian government of Christian genocide and pushed for language in the appropriations act to restrict assistance to Nigeria on the ground that "not enough has been done against Fulani Islamist terrorists in the Middle Belt". The House had initially proposed halving funds appropriated for Nigeria in April until the Secretary of State certified that the Nigerian government had taken effective steps to prevent and respond to violence. Steube's amendment raised the proposed funding restriction from 50 per cent to 100 per cent, arguing that "if the aid conditions included in the bill are important enough to withhold half of all the funding to the Nigerian government, then they are important enough to withhold all of the funding".
The development follows the Trump administration's 2025 decision to redesignate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern over allegations of Christian persecution. It also comes amid renewed security cooperation between both countries following tensions over a US missile strike on Nigerian territory on Christmas Day. Nigeria and the United States have since strengthened collaboration on counterterrorism efforts, particularly against armed groups operating in the northern part of the country.
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