Just In: US Conditions 50% of Aid to Nigeria on Protection of Christians, "Bold Actions"
- The US House passed the FY2027 NSRP Appropriations Act, which ties half of American assistance to Nigeria to measurable steps protecting Christians from religiously motivated violence
- Outspoken US lawmaker Riley Moore secured provisions directing the State Department to report to Congress on efforts needed to end alleged targeted attacks against Christians in Nigeria
- The bill allocates $47.32 billion in discretionary funding, cutting overall spending by $2.69 billion below FY2026 levels while eliminating Biden-era DEI and climate mandates
Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering security matters and counter-insurgency in Nigeria and Africa.
Washington, D.C., USA - The United States House of Representatives on Wednesday, July 15, passed the Fiscal Year 2027 National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Appropriations Act.
The bill conditions US foreign assistance to Nigeria on the country's ability to show concrete progress in protecting Christians from religiously motivated violence.
Source: Facebook
Legit.ng reports that the legislation, championed in part by Riley Moore, the lawmaker representing West Virginia's 2nd District in the United States, alongside NSRP Committee Chairman Mario Diaz-Balart, withholds 50% of US assistance to Nigeria.
The funding will remain suspended unless the Nigerian government takes measurable steps to protect Christians from attacks, address the alleged threat posed by terrorists, and facilitate the return of internally displaced persons to their ancestral lands.
Moore said in a statement following the bill's passage:
"Christians in Nigeria continue to endure horrific violence, murder, and persecution while a majority of the world turns a blind eye to their suffering.
"President Donald Trump has taken bold actions to strike the terrorists in Nigeria, and this bill sends a clear message that the United States will continue to stand with persecuted Christians across the globe, especially in Nigeria."
Why is US targeting Nigeria?
Beyond the funding conditions, the bill directs the State Department to submit a formal report to Congress and the president outlining the steps needed to bring an end to targeted violence against Christian communities in Nigeria. It also allocates funding to strengthen law enforcement partnerships with Nigeria, expand anti-human-exploitation efforts, and combat ritualistic murder and organ crimes across Africa.
Additional provisions in the accompanying committee report document the impact of mass migration on host populations, protect natural rights and national sovereignty initiatives, and preserve existing pro-life protections, including the Helms, Kemp-Kasten, Siljander, Tiahrt, Hyde-Lantos, and related amendments.
Source: Twitter
Why did US cut spending?
In total, the act authorises $47.32 billion in discretionary spending, representing a reduction of $2.69 billion from FY2026 appropriations. The legislation frames itself explicitly around President Trump's America First foreign policy, redirecting US foreign assistance towards countering threats from Communist China, Iran, the Taliban, and transnational criminal organisations.
The bill simultaneously strips out funding for programmes established during the Biden administration that centred on climate mandates, diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, and what the bill's backers describe as radical gender ideology.
Moore said the legislation also restricts the use of federal funds for censorship activities targeting American citizens and includes provisions combating human exploitation and pushing back on mass migration.
The FY2027 NSRP Appropriations Act now moves forward as part of the broader House appropriations process ahead of the next fiscal year.
Read Congressman Moore's statement in full via the X post below:
Read more on insecurity in Nigeria
- US interference: Ex-military head of state breaks silence on what Donald Trump must do to Nigeria
- The Country of Particular Concern 'trap': What the US Senate got wrong about Nigeria’s crisis
- List of killed Imams and mosques attacked by bandits that led to significant loss of lives
Moore names alleged violence sponsors in Nigeria
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Moore asserted that “Fulani militants are by far the largest perpetrators of violence against Christians in Nigeria.”
Moore, who said this via his verified X account, urged relevant authorities to “stop the killing in the Middle Belt of Nigeria at the hands of the Fulani.”
Source: Legit.ng
