The United States House of Representatives has approved an amendment that would suspend all designated US assistance to Nigeria unless the Nigerian government demonstrates significant progress in tackling insecurity and protecting its citizens.
The amendment, sponsored by Representative Gregory Steube, was adopted through a voice vote on Wednesday. It increases the proposed withholding of certain US aid to Nigeria from 50 percent to a full 100 percent.
Initially, lawmakers had proposed freezing half of the allocated assistance. Under that version, the US Secretary of State would have been required to certify that Nigeria had taken effective measures to prevent violence, respond to attacks, and ensure those responsible were held accountable before the withheld funds could be released.
With the latest amendment, the certification requirement remains unchanged, but the penalty has been expanded to cover the entire amount of the affected assistance.
Speaking in support of the amendment, Steube argued that withholding only half of the aid would still allow the Nigerian government to receive financial support despite what he described as its inability to adequately protect its citizens.
He told lawmakers that Nigeria continues to experience widespread violence and maintained that stronger measures were necessary to encourage meaningful action from the government.
The Florida lawmaker also expressed concern over attacks targeting Christians and other religious minorities, claiming that extremist groups have continued to operate with little accountability. He further alleged that women and girls from Christian communities have faced abductions, assaults and killings, while churches have been destroyed and entire communities displaced.
According to Steube, if Congress believes the security and human rights benchmarks are important enough to justify withholding half of the funding, they should also warrant suspending the full amount until those conditions are met.
He added that American taxpayer funds should not be directed to governments that, in his view, fail to protect religious freedom, combat terrorism effectively or safeguard innocent civilians.
Steube also linked his position to broader concerns about US government spending, arguing that continued foreign assistance should be carefully scrutinised as the United States faces a national debt approaching $40 trillion.
The amendment is part of the broader US legislative process, and further action will be required before any changes to American assistance for Nigeria become law. If enacted, the Nigerian government would need to meet the specified security and accountability conditions before the affected aid could be released.
