Keypoints:
- Nigeria hires a Washington lobbying firm to defend its record on religious violence
- President Trump redesignated Nigeria a country of particular concern
- Abuja denies claims of systematic persecution of Christians
NIGERIA has hired a Washington-based lobbying firm as it seeks to counter growing political pressure in the United States over claims that Christians are being targeted in the country, according to official filings with US authorities.
The move comes amid heightened scrutiny from US President Donald Trump, who in November redesignated Nigeria as a ‘country of particular concern’ over religious freedom and warned of possible military action if killings of Christians continue.
A push to shape Washington’s view
Documents filed with the US Department of Justice show that Nigeria has retained DCI Group for an initial six-month period at a cost of $4.5 million, with the option to extend the contract for a further six months at a similar fee.
The lobbying effort reflects Abuja’s concern that narratives gaining traction in Washington — driven in part by Christian evangelical groups and security-focused lobbyists — could harden US policy towards Africa’s most populous country at a time of rising insecurity and expanding American military involvement in West Africa.
Under the agreement, DCI Group is expected to assist the Nigerian government in ‘communicating its actions to protect Nigerian Christian communities’ and in maintaining US support for efforts to counter jihadist groups and other destabilising actors operating in the region.
Neither DCI Group nor Nigeria’s presidency immediately responded to requests for comment. The filing, dated December 18, was published on the US Justice Department’s website and reported by Nigerian media earlier this week.
Government rejects persecution claims
Nigeria’s government has repeatedly denied allegations that Christians are being systematically persecuted, arguing instead that the country faces complex and overlapping security challenges that affect both Muslim and Christian civilians.
Officials say violence is driven by a combination of Islamist insurgency, criminal banditry, competition over land and resources, and the proliferation of small arms, rather than by state-backed or religiously motivated targeting.
Nigeria has been battling a long-running Islamist insurgency in the northeast, widespread kidnappings by armed gangs in the northwest, and deadly clashes in the Middle Belt, where largely Muslim cattle herders and mostly Christian farmers have been locked in conflict over grazing land and water.
Rising military pressure
US pressure has intensified in recent weeks. On Christmas Day, the US military carried out an airstrike in northwest Nigeria that President Trump said killed multiple Islamic State militants.
In an interview with the New York Times published last week, Trump warned that further strikes were possible if Christians continued to be killed, signalling a tougher and more interventionist approach.
On Tuesday, US Africa Command said it had delivered critical military supplies to Nigeria to support its counterterrorism operations, pointing to closer security cooperation between Washington and Abuja despite the diplomatic tension.
Lobbying and narrative control
On its website, DCI Group describes itself as a team of seasoned political operatives and communications strategists with expertise in reframing external narratives and delivering targeted messages to key audiences.
Analysts say Nigeria’s decision to hire the firm underscores how seriously Abuja views the influence of faith-based advocacy groups in the United States, particularly as religious freedom has become a more prominent issue in US foreign policy debates.
There are also concerns in Abuja that sustained pressure from evangelical networks could translate into sanctions, reduced military cooperation or tougher diplomatic measures if left unchallenged.
For Nigeria, the lobbying push is part of a broader effort to reassure allies that it remains a reliable security partner in a volatile region while resisting what it sees as an increasingly simplified portrayal of a deeply complex conflict landscape.
