The United States house of representatives has endorsed an amendment bill that would increase withholding of assistance to Nigeria from 50 percent to 100 percent until Abuja takes effective steps to prevent and respond to terrorist attacks within the West African country.
The amendment proposed on Wednesday by Gregory Stuebe, who represents Florida’s 17th congressional district, was agreed to by lawmakers who cast a voice vote, seeks to increase the reduction of assistance from 50 per cent to 100 per cent
The move will remain in effect until the US Secretary of State certifies that Nigeria has taken “effective steps to prevent and respond to violence and hold perpetrators accountable”.
Speaking in support of his motion, Steube said withholding only 50 percent of the funds appeared to reward the Nigerian government “despite failure to meet its fundamental obligation to protect citizens”.
“I rise in strong support for my amendment to increase the withholding threshold for assistance to Nigeria, from 50 percent to 100 percent. While keeping in place benchmarks that demand Nigeria take effective steps to address the violence and persecution that continue to devastate the country.
“Nigeria has faced a horrific wave of violence that its corrupt government has failed to address.
“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.
“Christian women and girls continue to be abducted, assaulted, tortured, and killed. Their churches are burned, and entire communities are erased.
“If the aid conditions included in the bill are important enough to withhold half of all the funding to the Nigerian government, then they are important enough to withhold all of the funding.
“The generosity of our taxpayers is a reflection of the American values we hold so firmly.
Never should we allow their hard earned tax dollars to be funnelled to corrupt regimes that fail to uphold religious freedom, fail to adequately confront terrorism, and fail to protect the innocent from persecution.
“So, why are we rewarding a government that fails to meet such a basic obligation?” ,” Steube said.
He maintained that it is absurd to expend foreign aid to Nigeria in the face of rising insecurity, especially as America’s national debt approaches $40 trillion.
The lawmaker said his amendment proposal would ensure that US aid is appropriately leveraged to defend, reflect, and uphold American values.
In 2025, US President Donald Trump redesignated Nigeria a country of particular concern (CPC) over Christian genocide claims, before following up with a missile strike on Nigerian territory on Christmas Day.
Nigeria and the United States have since entered a military partnershiptargeting terrorists in the country’s arid and vast northern region.
