FG reportedly hires US lobbyist for $9m to communicate Christian protection efforts to US

The Federal government has reported hired a United States lobbying and public affairs firm in an alleged $9 million contract to communicate its security efforts and response to violence affecting Christian communities to policymakers in Washington.

Guardian reports that documents filed with the US Department of Justice show that DCI Group, a Washington-based lobbying firm, was contracted to engage US officials on Nigeria’s counterterrorism operations and its handling of allegations of religiously motivated violence

According to the report, the agreement was executed on December 17, 2025, through Aster Legal, a Kaduna-based law firm acting on behalf of the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu. It stated that under the contract, DCI Group is expected to outline Nigeria’s measures to protect Christian communities and to help sustain US support for the country’s campaign against jihadist groups operating across West Africa.

The arrangement, according to the report, runs for an initial six-month period ending June 30, 2026, and contains an automatic extension clause unless either party terminates the agreement with 60 days’ notice. The report added that financial disclosures indicate that Nigeria has already paid $4.5 million as an advance retainer, with the full value of the contract set at $9 million.

The agreement provides for a monthly fee of $750,000 to cover professional services and related expenses. The decision to engage a lobbying firm comes amid renewed attention in the United States to reports alleging killings of Christians in Nigeria.

In October, President Donald Trump redesignated Nigeria as a “country of particular concern”, citing claims of systematic violence against Christian communities, allegations that Nigerian authorities have consistently rejected. US officials and lawmakers accused the Federal government of failing to adequately protect religious minorities. Nigerian officials counter that the country’s security crisis is driven by terrorism, banditry and organised criminal violence rather than religious persecution.

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