The contract is aimed at persuading the Trump administration and key U.S. lawmakers that Nigeria is taking concrete steps to address insecurity, particularly the killings of Christians in the country’s northern region.
The administration of President Bola Tinubu has approved a controversial $9million lobbying contract with a Republican-linked firm in Washington as it seeks to placate United States President, Donald Trump, and stave off further military actions and diplomatic measures that could undermine Nigeria’s international standing and the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2027 elections.
According to an investigative report published on Tuesday by The Africa Report, Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, facilitated the engagement of the U.S. lobbying firm, DCI Group, through a Kaduna-based law firm, Aster Legal.
The contract is aimed at persuading the Trump administration and key U.S. lawmakers that Nigeria is taking concrete steps to address insecurity, particularly the killings of Christians in the country’s northern region.
U.S. Department of Justice filings cited in the report show that the Tinubu administration has already paid DCI Group an initial $4.5 million tranche on December 12, 2025.
The payment serves as a six-month retainer, with a second $4.5 million instalment due by July 2026, bringing the total value of the deal to $9 million, or $750,000 per month—one of the most expensive lobbying contracts ever signed by an African government.
The filings state that DCI Group was hired to assist the Nigerian government in communicating its actions to protect Nigeria’s Christian communities and maintaining U.S. support in countering West African jihadist groups and other destabilising elements.
The agreement bears the signatures of Aster Legal’s Managing Director, Oyetunji Olalekan Teslim, and DCI Group’s Managing Partner, Justin Peterson, a prominent Republican strategist and close ally of President Trump who previously served on Puerto Rico’s fiscal management board during Trump’s first term in office.
The contract was finalised just weeks after President Trump redesignated Nigeria as a “country of particular concern” over what he described as the Nigerian government’s failure to stop widespread and unchecked killings of Christians.
Four days after the lobbying deal was sealed, the U.S. imposed a partial travel ban on Nigerians, affecting tourist, business and student visa applicants.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration cited high visa overstay rates and the absence of what it called a reliable Nigerian security framework for vetting travellers.
Tensions escalated further on December 25, 2025, when President Trump announced that U.S. forces had carried out a military airstrike in northern Nigeria, specifically in Sokoto State, targeting suspected insurgent hideouts.
Trump later warned that additional strikes would follow if the Nigerian government failed to halt the violence against Christian communities.
Beyond DCI Group, Nigeria has also deployed other lobbying channels in Washington. Justice Department records reveal that U.S. attorney and former congressional foreign policy official Johanna Blanc declared receiving a $5,000 payment to draft a letter addressed to Congressman Chris Smith, chair of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, ahead of a congressional hearing on Nigeria’s worsening insecurity.
While the filings listed Ms Blanc as working under Nigeria’s Ministry of Finance, she clarified that the letter was written on behalf of Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
In the correspondence, Akpabio extended an invitation to members of the U.S. House subcommittee to visit Nigeria.
“Nigeria would be honoured to host you in Abuja at a mutually convenient date, to continue these discussions and engage stakeholders from across the government, civil society organisations and religious communities,” the letter read.
“Such a visit would further strengthen diplomatic cooperation and provide firsthand insight into ongoing security and interfaith initiatives.”
The multimillion-dollar lobbying arrangement has drawn sharp reactions from analysts and former U.S. officials.
Chidi Blyden, a former Pentagon official who served under President Joe Biden and was reportedly involved in aspects of the engagement, said the scale of the contract reflects the Tinubu administration’s urgency in repairing strained relations with the Trump White House.
“Given the ongoing strikes in northern Nigeria to root out terrorist havens, having open lines of communication across multiple sectors between the two governments is key,” Blyden said.
“It’s a sign that President Bola Tinubu’s administration wants a relationship with the Trump administration, and it is taking steps to do this through the private sector.”