The Federal Government is spending $750,000 monthly on a Republican-linked U.S. lobby firm to counter “Christian genocide” claims and curb separatist narratives among conservative and evangelical circles near President Donald Trump.
UK-based Africa Confidential reports that Abuja’s lobbying followed Trump’s November warning that the U.S. could intervene in Nigeria “guns ablazing” over alleged mass killings of Christians.
The development sparked a high-stakes lobbying battle in Washington, with Nigeria’s government clashing with pro-Biafra groups over U.S. military cooperation, sanctions, and arms sales to Africa’s most populous nation.
According to Africa Confidential, under the agreement, DCI Group will lobby U.S. policymakers on visas, military cooperation, trade, and tariffs, while promoting Nigeria’s stance on protecting Christians and Muslims and combating jihadist violence.
The deal dwarfs Biafran separatists’ effort, with BRGIE paying $66,000 monthly to Madison & Washington to push U.S. sanctions, recognition of Biafra, and potential military and oil support.
Analysts cited by Africa Confidential argue that the separatist pitch glosses over key geopolitical realities. Oil-producing communities in the Niger Delta do not identify with a landlocked future Biafra, weakening claims that such a state would control significant hydrocarbon assets.
Pro-Biafra activists have cultivated these networks for decades, securing endorsements from senior Republican figures including Senator Ted Cruz of Texas and former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. These connections are believed to have prompted Abuja and its allies to “splurge” on a top-tier lobbying firm aligned with Trump’s inner circle.
The Madison & Washington contract presents Nigeria as a state complicit in violence against Christians and argues that a pro-U.S. Biafran administration would better serve American strategic interests, including offering more favourable oil terms to U.S. companies.
Critics say the narrative is selective. Separatist violence in Nigeria’s southeast has also claimed Christian lives, including attacks by Christians against fellow Christians during the enforcement of sit-at-home orders—details omitted from lobbying materials
Speaking to Naijaonpoint, Dr. Dapo Ogunbode, an International Relations scholar at the University of Abuja, said: “States engage groups or lobbyists for various reasons to promote their foreign policy objectives. In the U.S., several firms must register as foreign agents if they represent a foreign entity. In Nigeria, the system is rather porous.”
The lobbying scramble coincides with intensified U.S.–Nigeria security cooperation, highlighting how political narratives in Washington are increasingly shaping military and diplomatic outcomes affecting Nigeria.
Following Trump’s November remarks, Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, led urgent engagements in Washington with the U.S. Department of Defense and Trump-affiliated officials.
On November 20, Ribadu met U.S. Defense Secretary Peter Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine.
Between November and December, both countries established a Joint Working Group to accelerate intelligence sharing and arms approvals.
U.S. air strikes on suspected jihadist targets in Sokoto and Zamfara—initially planned for December 24—were reportedly shifted to Christmas Day at Trump’s insistence.
Nigeria has increasingly relied on U.S. military support to counter jihadist groups operating in the north and northwest.
Nigeria has increasingly relied on U.S. military support to counter jihadist groups operating in the north and northwest.
Tinubu’s administration has prioritised repairing strained security relations with Washington following years of arms procurement delays.
Pro-Biafra lobbying efforts in the U.S. have intensified since the re-emergence of Trump as a dominant force in Republican politics.
Abuja’s engagement with DCI Group underscores a broader strategy to protect Nigeria’s international image, safeguard military assistance, and maintain diplomatic alignment with the United States.