“Why Are We Rewarding a Government That Fails?” — US Lawmaker Gregory Steube Seeks to Block 100% of US Aid to Nigeria Over Insecurity

US Congressman Gregory Steube has urged Congress to approve an amendment that would withhold 100% of US assistance to the Nigerian government until it takes what he described as effective steps to address insecurity, terr%rism and the pers+cution of Christians and other religious minorities.

Speaking on the House floor, Steube said, “Nigeria has faced a horrific wave of vi%lence that its corr¥pt government has failed to address,” alleging that churches have been burned, women and girls abd¥cted, and extremist groups allowed to operate with near impunity.

He argued that if the bill already withholds 50% of the funding over those concerns, then “they are important enough to withhold all of the funding.” Questioning continued US support, he asked, “Why are we rewarding a government that fails to meet such a basic obligation?”

Steube said, “The generosity of our taxpayers is a reflection of the American values we hold so firmly,” adding that “foreign aid should never be a reward for failure.” He insisted “this is not about punishing the Nigerian people” but “about demanding accountability” from their government, urging Congress to ensure recipients “meet the standard before receiving support.”

He called on lawmakers to back the amendment and withhold all US assistance until Nigeria meets the required benchmarks.