US to limit financial aid to Nigeria pending action on terror attacks

Lawmakers in the United States (US) have proposed a Bill which stipulates that financial aid will be withheld until the Nigerian government addresses its security concerns.

According to the bill, 50 percent of the funds allocated to Nigeria cannot be released until the US Secretary of State certifies that the Nigerian government is taking “effective steps to prevent and respond to violence and hold perpetrators accountable”.

The available funds are intended to support the advancement of religious freedom, as well as the investigation and prosecution of violence committed by Fulani militia groups, jihadist terror groups, and criminal gangs.

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Riley Moore, a member of the US House of Representatives, commented on this legislation via a post on X, noting that President Bola Tinubu’s administration is spending millions on lobbying Congress “while failing to adequately address the genocide Nigerian Christians face daily.”

Moore asserted that the United States would not “turn a blind eye to the brutal persecution of our Nigerian brothers and sisters in Christ.”

He added, “The Tinubu Administration is spending millions lobbying Congress while failing to adequately address the genocide Nigerian Christians face daily. @HouseAppropsGOP just passed our annual State Department funding bill, which takes serious steps to address this crisis.”

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The bill outlines US appropriations for national security, the Department of State, and related programmes for the fiscal year ending September 30 2027.

Under the proposed legislation, less than 15 percent of the $6.89 billion budget is designated for national security investment programmes in Africa.

Additionally, it allocates $205 million to a democracy fund, $5 billion for international humanitarian assistance, and $870 million for anti-terrorism efforts.

A key section of the bill states:
“Of the funds appropriated under titles III and IV of this Act that are made available for assistance for the central Government of Nigeria, 50 percent may not be obligated until the Secretary of State certifies to the Committees on Appropriations that such Government is:

(A) taking effective steps to prevent and respond to violence and hold perpetrators accountable;

(B) prioritising resources to support victims of such violence, including internally displaced persons;

(C) actively facilitating the safe return, resettlement, and reconstruction of communities impacted by the violence; and

(D) allocating sufficient resources to address the conditions in subparagraphs (A) through (C).

While the total amount appropriated specifically for Nigeria was not disclosed in the text, the bill highlights significant concerns regarding regional stability.