Tinubu Spends $9 Million On Republican Lobbyist As Trump Threatens Strikes, Travel Ban Against Nigeria

Washington, United States– President Bola Tinubu’s administration has reportedly paid a staggering $9 million to a powerful Republican-linked lobbying firm in Washington, amid mounting pressure from United States President Donald Trump, whose administration has threatened further military strikes and diplomatic actions against Nigeria over insecurity and the killing of Christians.

According to an investigation published on Tuesday by The Africa Report, the Nigerian government, acting through the Office of the National Security Adviser, quietly contracted DCI Group, a prominent U.S. lobbying and strategic communications firm with deep ties to the Republican Party and President Trump’s political circle.

The deal, worth $750,000 per month, is aimed at persuading the Trump administration that Nigeria is taking concrete steps to combat terrorism and protect Christian communities, particularly in the country’s northern region.

The report disclosed that National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu used a Kaduna-based law firm, Aster Legal, as an intermediary to formalise the contract with DCI Group.

Under the agreement, Nigeria has already paid an initial tranche of $4.5 million on December 12, 2025, as a retainer covering the first six months of lobbying services.

A second tranche of $4.5 million is scheduled for payment by July 2026, bringing the total value of the contract to $9 million—one of the most expensive lobbying arrangements ever undertaken by an African government.

Filings lodged with the United States Department of Justice under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) 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 contract bears the signatures of Oyetunji Olalekan Teslim, managing director of Aster Legal, and Justin Peterson, managing partner of DCI Group. Peterson is a known ally of President Trump and previously served on Puerto Rico’s financial oversight and management board during Trump’s first term in office.

The multimillion-dollar lobbying deal was finalised just weeks after President Trump redesignated Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC), citing what he described as unchecked and ongoing killings of Christians across parts of the country.

The redesignation marked a sharp escalation in Washington’s posture towards Abuja and revived a policy Trump had enforced during his earlier presidency.

Only four days after the lobbying contract was sealed, the Trump administration imposed a partial travel ban on Nigerians, restricting the issuance of tourist, business and student visas. U.S. officials justified the move by pointing to high rates of visa overstays and what they described as Nigeria’s lack of a reliable security and identity verification framework.

Tensions escalated further on December 25, 2025, when President Trump announced that the United States had carried out a military strike in northern Nigeria, specifically in Sokoto State, targeting suspected insurgent positions.

In subsequent statements, Trump warned that additional airstrikes would follow if attacks on Christian communities continued.

Beyond the DCI Group engagement, Justice Department filings also revealed that Nigeria enlisted other U.S.-based intermediaries to influence congressional opinion.

Johanna Blanc, a U.S. attorney and former congressional foreign policy official, 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 scheduled hearing on Nigeria’s worsening insecurity crisis.

Although the filing identified Blanc as working under Nigeria’s finance ministry, she reportedly stated that she drafted the letter on behalf of Senate President Godswill Akpabio. In the letter, Akpabio extended an invitation to U.S. lawmakers 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,” Akpabio wrote.

“Such a visit would further strengthen diplomatic cooperation and provide firsthand insight into ongoing security and interfaith initiatives.”

The revelations have triggered sharp reactions from analysts and former U.S. officials, who see the lobbying blitz as evidence of deep anxiety within President Tinubu’s government over its standing with the Trump administration.

Chidi Blyden, a former Pentagon official who served under President Joe Biden and was reportedly involved in aspects of the engagement, described the seven-figure deal as a clear sign of urgency and desperation on the part of the Nigerian government.

“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.”