Nigeria hires lobbying firm for $9m to communicate Christian protection efforts to US

Nigeria has hired a United States lobbying firm in a $9 million deal aimed at shaping Washington’s understanding of its security response to violence against Christian communities.

Documents filed with the US Department of Justice show that DCI Group, a Washington-based public affairs and lobbying firm, was contracted to engage US officials on Nigeria’s counterterrorism efforts and its handling of religiously motivated violence.

The contract was executed on December 17, 2025, through Aster Legal, a Kaduna-based law firm acting on behalf of Nigeria’s national security adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.

Under the agreement, DCI Group is expected to communicate Nigeria’s actions to protect Christian communities and sustain US support for its fight against jihadist groups operating across West Africa.

The arrangement runs for an initial six-month period ending June 30, 2026, with an automatic extension clause unless terminated by either party with 60 days’ notice.

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Financial disclosures also show that Nigeria has already paid $4.5 million as an advance retainer, with the total value of the contract set at $9 million. The agreement provides for a monthly fee of $750,000, covering professional services and related expenses.

The hiring of the lobbying firm comes against the backdrop of renewed US attention to reports of killings of Christians in Nigeria.

In October, President Donald Trump redesignated Nigeria as a “country of particular concern”, citing allegations of systematic violence against Christian communities — claims the Nigerian government has repeatedly rejected.

US officials and lawmakers have accused Abuja of failing to adequately protect religious minorities, a charge Nigerian authorities deny, arguing that the country’s security crisis is driven by terrorism and banditry rather than religious persecution.

In November, Trump warned that the United States could intervene militarily if violence against Christians continued, heightening diplomatic tension between the two countries.

Nigeria has since pledged to engage more directly with Washington to counter what it describes as mischaracterisations of its security challenges.

On Christmas Day, the US carried out air strikes on two terrorist enclaves in Bauni forest in Tangaza Local Government Area of Sokoto State, signalling deeper American involvement in counterterrorism efforts linked to Nigeria’s security concerns.