N500m in PR, $9m in lobbying: How Nigeria is fighting Christian persecution narrative

Federal Government records on the GovSpend platform have revealed that Nigeria spent N500 million in December 2025 on an emergency strategic communications campaign to counter Western allegations of Christian persecution — in the same year it hired a US lobbying firm for $9 million under a contract coordinated through the National Security Adviser’s office.

Nigeria is spending big to control its international narrative — and the receipts are now public.

Records on the Federal Government’s expenditure tracking platform, GovSpend, show that N500,000,000 was disbursed on December 19, 2025, under the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Policy Communications for what was described as an “emergency Strategic Communications & Global Media Engagement to counter coordinated Western propaganda against the government on alleged Christian persecution.”

As reported by Daily Trust, the N500 million domestic spend arrived in the same year the Federal Government signed a $9 million lobbying contract with DCI Group, a US-based public affairs firm, through Aster Legal — a Kaduna-based law firm retained on behalf of National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu. The agreement, signed on December 18, 2025 and documented under the US Foreign Agents Registration Act, required an upfront $4.5 million six-month retainer with another $4.5 million due thereafter, at a rate of $750,000 monthly.

The dual expenditure reflects the intensity of international pressure Nigeria has faced over allegations of violence targeting Christian communities. In October 2025, US President Donald Trump redesignated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern — one of Washington’s most serious religious freedom classifications — following widespread reports of attacks on Christian communities. The designation carries the potential for sanctions, though presidential waivers are permitted on national security grounds.

Despite the designation, US-Nigeria security cooperation has continued, with Washington remaining a key partner in counterterrorism operations against Boko Haram and ISWAP.

The Nigerian government recently released what it described as a letter from Trump to President Tinubu, in which Trump acknowledged violence affecting Christian communities while reaffirming US support for Nigeria’s counterterrorism efforts and describing it as “a true honour to stand with you in the fight against terrorists.”

The lobbying and communications contracts are now facing fresh scrutiny from lawmakers and the public.