Nigerian Government Hires US Lobbying Firm For $9m To Counter ‘Christian Genocide’ Claims

The Federal Government of Nigeria has engaged the services of a Washington-based lobbying firm, DCI Group, in a $9 million contract aimed at communicating its efforts to protect Christians in Nigeria to the United States government.

According to TheCable, documents filed with the US Department of Justice showed the deal was facilitated by Aster Legal, a Kaduna-based law firm, acting on behalf of National Security Adviser (NSA) Nuhu Ribadu.

The agreement, signed on December 17, 2025, between Oyetunji Olalekan Teslim, Managing Partner of Aster Legal, and Justin Peterson, Managing Member of DCI Group, authorises the US firm to assist the Nigerian government “in communicating its actions to protect Nigerian Christian communities and maintaining U.S. support in countering West African jihadist groups and other destabilizing elements.”

Under the terms of the contract, DCI Group will receive $750,000 monthly, amounting to $9 million over 12 months. The deal runs initially for six months, until June 30, 2026, with an automatic renewal clause for another six-month period.

A clause in the agreement also allowed either party to terminate the deal “for any reason without penalty” by giving 60 days’ advance written notice.

Financial records indicated that on December 12, 2025, Nigeria paid DCI Group a $4.5 million prepayment covering the first six months of the retainership agreement. A second installment is due at the end of the initial contract period.

The lobbying engagement came amid renewed tension between Abuja and Washington over reports of alleged persecution of Christians in Nigeria.

In October 2025, US President Donald Trump redesignated Nigeria as a “country of particular concern,” citing alleged attacks against Christian communities. Nigerian authorities, however, have repeatedly denied claims of a Christian genocide, insisting that violence in the country stems largely from terrorism, banditry, and communal clashes, not religion.

In a statement at the time, the federal government pledged to “engage with the U.S. government through diplomatic and legal channels” to address the allegations.

The issue gained further traction in November, when Trump warned that the US might “go into Nigeria guns-a-blazing to wipe out the terrorists killing our cherished Christians,” following pressure from American lawmakers who claimed Nigeria’s Christian population was under siege.

On Christmas Day, the US military launched airstrikes against terrorist enclaves in Bauni Forest, Tangaza Local Government Area of Sokoto State, marking a significant escalation in US counterterrorism involvement in Nigeria.