US House Backs Nigeria Aid Freeze Over Christian Persecution Concerns

The United States House of Representatives has approved measures seeking to condition American assistance to Nigeria on demonstrable steps by the Federal Government to tackle violence and protect vulnerable communities, including Christians.

The measures were adopted during consideration of the fiscal 2027 State Department spending bill, which the House passed on Wednesday by 217 to 209 votes, largely along party lines.

A key amendment sponsored by Republican Congressman Gregory Steube raised the proposed restriction on US assistance to Nigeria from 50 per cent to 100 per cent, meaning all funds allocated to the country would be withheld until the Federal Government meets specified conditions.

The bill’s passage reflects continued concern among some US lawmakers over religious violence in Nigeria, a subject that has repeatedly featured in congressional hearings and reports on religious freedom in recent years.

The measure will still need to pass the Senate and be reconciled with any competing version before becoming law, a process that could see the restrictive language softened or removed entirely during negotiations.

The Nigerian government has not yet issued a formal response to the House vote, though officials have in the past pushed back against characterisations of the country’s security challenges as being solely or primarily religious in nature.