Politics

The United States House of Representatives has approved an amendment seeking to withhold 100 per cent of the country’s assistance to Nigeria until the federal government takes effective steps to prevent and respond to terrorism and violence, significantly tightening an earlier proposal that sought to suspend only half of the aid. The amendment, sponsored by Representative Gregory Steube of Florida’s 17th Congressional District, was adopted by voice vote during consideration of the appropriations bill. It raises the aid withholding threshold from 50 per cent to 100 per cent while retaining the requirement that the US Secretary of State certify that Nigeria has taken “effective steps to prevent and respond to violence and hold perpetrators accountable.” Speaking on the House floor, Steube said the earlier proposal did not go far enough, alleging that the Nigerian federal government has failed to protect its citizens, especially Christians. “I rise in strong support for my amendment to increase the withholding threshold for assistance to Nigeria, from 50 per cent to 100 per cent, while keeping in place benchmarks that demand Nigeria take effective steps to address the violence and persecution that continue to devastate the country,” he said. Arguing that the Nigerian government had failed in its responsibility to protect its citizens, the lawmaker said: “Nigeria has faced a horrific wave of violence that its corrupt government has failed to address.” He added: “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.” According to him, Christian women and girls continue to be abducted, assaulted, tortured, and killed, while their churches are burned, and entire communities are erased. Steube maintained that if lawmakers considered the conditions serious enough to justify withholding half of the assistance, they should also support suspending all funding. “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,” he said. He also questioned the continued flow of American assistance to Nigeria, maintaining that the West African country has not justified such assistance. “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 funneled to corrupt regimes that fail to uphold religious freedom, fail to adequately confront terrorism, and fail to protect the innocent from persecution.” He further argued that continued aid to Nigeria was difficult to justify in light of worsening insecurity and America’s fiscal challenges. “It is absurd to expend foreign aid to Nigeria in the face of rising insecurity, especially as America’s national debt approaches $40 trillion,” he maintained. The Florida lawmaker added that the amendment would ensure US assistance “is appropriately leveraged to defend, reflect, and uphold American values.” The measure strengthens an earlier House proposal introduced in April and comes amid increased scrutiny of Nigeria’s security situation in Washington. Although US President Donald Trump redesignated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) in 2025 over allegations of religious persecution, both countries have continued to deepen military cooperation against terrorist groups operating in northern Nigeria. The amendment will still have to pass the remaining stages of the US legislative process before it can become law. If enacted, all US assistance to Nigeria would remain suspended until the Secretary of State certifies that the Nigerian government has met the prescribed security and accountability benchmarks.

Nigeria has called on African countries to deepen collaboration to accelerate the growth of the continent’s digital economy. The call was made by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Nadungu Gagare, during the 7th Special Session of the African Telecommunication Union (ATU) held on Wednesday in Abuja. Gagare was represented by a director in the ministry, Ahmed Alsukun. He said stronger regional cooperation is crucial to building a digital economy that is inclusive, innovative and capable of creating opportunities for Africa’s growing youth population. According to him, greater collaboration among African nations would improve connectivity, strengthen digital infrastructure, promote digital skills, enhance cybersecurity, safeguard data and unlock new economic opportunities across the continent. Gagare added that a more united Africa would have a stronger voice in global decision making and be better positioned to protect the continent’s interests. Also speaking, Chairperson of the ATU Administrative Council, Nonkqubela Jordan-Dyani, said African countries must adopt ICT driven strategies to build economic resilience. She noted that Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), including digital identity and electronic payment systems, is essential for enabling secure transactions and seamless interactions across the region. Jordan-Dyani commended Nigeria’s efforts in digitising public institutions and encouraged other African nations to replicate the country’s progress. Earlier, ATU Secretary-General John Omo described the special session as a key part of preparations for the organisation’s conference. He stressed that the union’s proposals would only achieve their intended impact when they are adopted as legal instruments and fully implemented. Omo added that the progress made so far was the result of collective efforts and urged member states to work together to successfully conclude the process.