The United States House of Representatives has passed a spending bill that would make a significant portion of U.S. assistance to Nigeria conditional on the country's efforts to address the persecution of Christians and improve religious freedom.

The provision is contained in the Fiscal Year 2027 National Security, Department of State and Related Programs Appropriations Act, which was approved by the House on Wednesday.

The measure now proceeds to the Senate, where it must also be passed before it can be sent to the President for assent.

The legislation requires the U.S. Secretary of State to certify that Nigeria is taking concrete steps to protect Christian communities from religiously motivated violence before a specified portion of U.S. assistance can be released.

It also directs the State Department to report to Congress on measures being taken to curb attacks against Christians in the country.

The provision was championed by Republican Congressman Riley Moore, who argued that Christians in Nigeria continue to face severe violence and that U.S. assistance should encourage stronger action by Nigerian authorities to safeguard vulnerable communities.

The move follows months of increased scrutiny by U.S. lawmakers over religious violence in Nigeria.

Earlier this year, congressional committees submitted a report to the White House urging stronger American engagement on the issue after fact-finding missions and hearings on religious freedom in Nigeria.

The Nigerian government has consistently maintained that the country's security challenges are multifaceted, involving terrorism, banditry, communal clashes and criminal violence affecting both Christians and Muslims, rather than constituting a campaign directed solely at one religious group.

If eventually enacted, the measure could reshape U.S.-Nigeria relations by linking American assistance more directly to Nigeria's performance in protecting religious freedom and preventing sectarian violence.