The United States House of Representatives has passed a spending bill that would condition half of America’s assistance to Nigeria on the country’s measurable efforts to protect Christians from religiously motivated violence, in a move that could significantly reshape U.S.-Nigeria relations if the legislation becomes law.
The provision is contained in the Fiscal Year 2027 National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs (NSRP) Appropriations Act, championed by Republican Congressman Riley M. Moore, who said the measure aligns with President Donald Trump’s “America First” foreign policy agenda.
The House also approved an amendment by Republican Congressman Greg Steube seeking to further tighten the legislation by withholding 100% of U.S. aid to Nigeria until the Nigerian government meets the bill’s conditions on protecting Christians and addressing religious violence in the country.
Announcing the development, Steube said in a post on X, “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.”
During the debate on the House floor, Steube argued that Nigeria’s government has failed to protect Christians and other religious minorities from extremist violence. “Nigeria has faced a horrific wave of violence that its corrupt government has failed to address,” he said. “For years, and especially in recent months, Christians and other religious minorities in Nigeria have been subjected to violence and terrorism at the hands of extremists operating with impunity.”
He alleged that Christian women and girls continue to be abducted, assaulted, tortured, and killed, while churches are destroyed and entire communities are wiped out. According to Steube, if the conditions contained in the appropriations bill were sufficient to justify withholding half of U.S. assistance, they should equally justify suspending all funding until Nigeria demonstrates measurable progress. “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.
Steube further argued that foreign assistance should not be released until recipient governments prove they are willing and able to protect vulnerable populations and confront terrorism. “Foreign aid should never be a reward for failure,” he added.
Meanwhile, Congressman Moore said the legislation seeks to hold the Nigerian government accountable for persistent attacks on Christian communities, particularly violence attributed to armed Fulani groups, while also strengthening U.S. oversight of foreign assistance. “Christians in Nigeria continue to endure horrific violence, murder, and persecution while a majority of the world turns a blind eye to their suffering,” Moore said in a statement after the House approved the bill. He added, “President Trump has taken bold actions to strike the terrorists in Nigeria, and this bill sends a clear message that the United States will continue to stand with persecuted Christians across the globe, especially in Nigeria.”
According to Moore, the bill conditions U.S. assistance to Nigeria on “tangible progress” in protecting Christians, particularly by addressing threats posed by Fulani terrorists and facilitating the return of internally displaced persons to their ancestral communities. The legislation also provides funding for police training and accountability initiatives in Nigeria while directing the U.S. State Department to report to Congress and the President on additional measures needed to end targeted violence against Christians in the country.
Moore said the bill further prioritises law enforcement partnerships with Nigeria, expands anti-human trafficking efforts, and strengthens oversight of foreign assistance programmes. The House-approved legislation also allocates funding to combat ritual killings and organ trafficking in Africa while restricting the use of federal funds for censorship activities targeting American citizens.
It prioritises countering threats from China, Iran, the Taliban and transnational criminal organisations, while eliminating funding for several Biden-era climate, diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), and gender-related initiatives. The bill will now proceed through the remaining stages of the U.S. congressional appropriations process before it can become law.
