Contract reportedly aimed at countering U.S. sanctions pressure, Christian killings concerns, and restoring diplomatic goodwill amid security tensions

President Bola Tinubu’s administration has reportedly committed $9 million to a U.S.-based Republican lobbying firm in a high-stakes bid to improve relations with President Donald Trump’s administration and counter mounting diplomatic pressure on Nigeria over insecurity and religious violence.

According to an investigative report published Tuesday by The Africa Report, Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, facilitated the engagement through a Kaduna-based law firm, Aster Legal, which retained Washington lobbying powerhouse DCI Group to represent Nigeria’s interests in the United States.

The lobbying contract, valued at $750,000 per month over six months, is designed to convince U.S. policymakers that Nigeria is taking concrete steps to curb terrorism and protect Christian communities in its northern region, where violent attacks have drawn international condemnation.

Documents filed with the U.S. Department of Justice under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) show that Nigeria paid the first tranche of $4.5 million to DCI Group on December 12, 2025, with the remaining $4.5 million due by July 2026. The agreement is among the most expensive lobbying deals ever undertaken by an African country.

DCI Group’s mandate includes helping the Nigerian government “communicate its actions to protect Nigeria’s Christian communities” while sustaining U.S. backing in the fight against West African jihadist groups and other destabilising threats, the filings stated.

The contract was signed by 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 financial oversight board during Trump’s first term.

The lobbying push comes amid strained relations between Abuja and Washington. Weeks earlier, President Trump redesignated Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern,” citing what he described as persistent and unchecked killings of Christians.

Just days after the lobbying deal was finalised, the U.S. imposed a partial travel restriction on Nigerians, affecting tourist, business and student visa applicants. The Trump administration cited visa overstays and deficiencies in Nigeria’s security vetting systems.

Tensions escalated further on December 25, 2025, when President Trump announced that U.S. forces had carried out a military strike targeting insurgents in Sokoto State, northern Nigeria. He subsequently warned that additional airstrikes could follow if attacks on Christian communities continued.

Beyond DCI Group, Nigeria also enlisted other U.S.-based intermediaries. Justice Department filings revealed that American attorney and former congressional foreign policy official Johanna Blanc received $5,000 to draft a letter ahead of a U.S. House Foreign Affairs subcommittee hearing on

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