The United States House of Representatives has approved an amendment to withhold 100 per cent of US assistance to Nigeria until the country meets specific conditions to address violence and protect Christian communities. The amendment, approved by a voice vote on Wednesday, was added to the fiscal 2027 State Department spending bill, which the House later passed 217-209 largely along party lines.

The amendment was sponsored by Florida Republican Congressman Gregory Steube. The original version of the spending bill had proposed withholding 50 per cent of funds allocated to Nigeria until the US Secretary of State certifies that the Nigerian government had taken "effective steps to prevent and respond to violence and hold perpetrators accountable."Steube's amendment raised that threshold to full suspension.

Speaking on the floor, Steube said Nigeria has faced a wave of violence its government has failed to address, alleging that Christians and other religious minorities have been subjected to violence and terrorism by extremists operating with impunity, including abductions, assaults, and killings, with churches burned and communities destroyed. He argued that while the amendment itself did not specify the nature of the violence, he framed it publicly as addressing anti-Christian violence — though experts note the sectarian violence in Nigeria is more complicated than a single-target narrative.

Steube also questioned continued aid to Nigeria given US national debt approaching $40 trillion.

What happens next: The amendment does not immediately affect US assistance, as it must still be considered by the Senate and signed into law by President Trump before taking effect. This follows the Trump administration's 2025 redesignation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern over Christian persecution allegations, and comes amid renewed security cooperation between both countries following tensions over a US missile strike on Nigerian territory on Christmas Day.