The United States House of Representatives has approved a proposal to suspend American aid to Nigeria
The proposal requires the Nigerian government to show clear progress in stopping violence, protecting Christians and prosecuting attackers.
The House adopted the measure while considering the 2027 State Department spending bill. Lawmakers passed the bill by 217 votes to 209, largely along party lines.
Republican Congressman Gregory Steube sponsored an amendment that raised the proposed aid restriction from 50 per cent to 100 per cent.
Under the amendment, the US government would withhold all funds allocated to Nigeria until the Secretary of State confirms that Nigeria has taken effective action against violence.
The Nigerian government must also respond to attacks and hold those responsible accountable.
The original bill proposed withholding half of US aid to Nigeria. Steube’s amendment increased the restriction to all US assistance.
Steube announced the passage of the amendment on X.
“My amendment to withhold 100 per cent of U.S. aid to Nigeria until its government stops the slaughter of Christians has passed,” he wrote.
He said American taxpayers should not fund a government that fails to stop attacks on Christians.
Republican Congressman Riley Moore also supported the proposal.
Moore said the US should link aid to Nigeria’s progress in protecting Christians, defending religious freedom and fighting terrorism.
He claimed that extremist groups had killed and abducted thousands of Christians in Nigeria over the years.
Moore said US lawmakers had investigated the attacks and visited Nigeria to assess the situation.
During the House debate, Steube argued that withholding only half of the aid would not put enough pressure on the Nigerian government.
“Nigeria has faced a horrific wave of violence that its corrupt government has failed to address,” he said.
Steube said the amendment did not create new conditions. Instead, it strengthened the existing requirements.
He argued that the US should not continue sending aid without clear proof that Nigeria had acted against terrorism, religious violence and persecution.
The lawmakers want the US government to tie future aid to measurable results.
Steube said the proposal would not punish ordinary Nigerians. He said it would force the government to take responsibility.
“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 proposal has not become law.
The US Senate must approve it before the president can sign it. The House vote does not immediately stop American aid to Nigeria.
The development follows President Donald Trump’s 2025 decision to redesignate Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” under the International Religious Freedom Act.
Trump announced the designation on October 31, 2025. He cited claims of Christian persecution and directed Congress to investigate the situation.
The Nigerian government has rejected the persecution claims.
It said terrorists and extremist groups had attacked both Christian and Muslim communities.
Nigeria and the United States have continued to strengthen security cooperation despite the disagreement. Both countries have worked together against terrorist groups operating in northern Nigeria.