US congress panel faults Nigeria’s $9m lobbying deal

A United States congressional panel has criticised the Federal Government’s reported $9 million lobbying contract in Washington, warning that the move appears designed to soften international scrutiny over Nigeria’s human rights and religious freedom record.

The concerns were raised on Wednesday during a joint hearing of the House Subcommittee on Africa and the Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere titled “Defending Religious Freedom Around the World.”

Former US Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom, Sam Brownback, and former chair of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), Dr Stephen Schneck, testified at the session monitored by Saturday PUNCH.

Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, Chris Smith, defended the October 2025 designation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) under the International Religious Freedom Act, describing it as “long overdue” following years of deadly attacks on Christian communities.

Smith expressed alarm over what he described as attempts to undermine that designation through paid lobbying.

“I am deeply concerned that Nigeria has hired the lobbying firm, DCI Group, to the tune of $9m, $750,000 a month,” he said. “A Nigerian billionaire has also entered into a $120,000-a-month contract with another Washington consulting firm to influence Congress and the Executive Branch. These firms produce well-crafted talking points suggesting there’s nothing to see.”

However, Ranking Member Sara Jacobs cautioned against reducing Nigeria’s violence to religious persecution alone. She argued that the crisis is more complex and affects both Christians and Muslims.

Jacobs also criticised the US government for cutting hundreds of millions of dollars in aid to Nigeria, including programmes supporting faith leaders and conflict-affected communities. She cited the cancellation of the Community Initiatives to Promote Peace programme, which she said had helped lower violence in parts of the country.

“The violence in Nigeria is multifaceted and cannot be reduced to a single narrative,” Jacobs said, warning that simplistic interpretations could worsen tensions.

She further questioned the impact of recent US military strikes in Sokoto State, saying they had not meaningfully improved security for affected communities.

Schneck echoed those concerns, arguing that the cost of the missile strikes likely exceeded funding previously allocated for interfaith and humanitarian efforts. He warned that military action could inadvertently strengthen militant groups.

“Strikes like that may actually drive militant organisations closer together,” he said, describing the action as a mistake.

Testifying on Nigeria’s broader security situation, Schneck pointed to multiple challenges including Boko Haram and ISWAP insurgency, farmer-herder clashes, banditry, organised crime, mass displacement, and what he termed weak governance and corruption.

Lawmakers also debated whether the CPC designation alone would be effective. Brownback said the label would have little impact without concrete consequences such as sanctions.

“Until you put some bite into it, most of these dictators are just going to thumb their nose at you,” he said, advocating targeted sanctions under the Magnitsky Act.

While some members argued that recent US actions had drawn attention to Nigeria’s crisis, Brownback expressed scepticism about the Federal Government’s commitment to protecting vulnerable groups.

“This government has not given us any reason to trust them,” he said.

US President Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed that Christians in Nigeria face genocide and has previously threatened military intervention. The Nigerian government has rejected those claims, maintaining that while the country faces serious security threats, the situation does not amount to genocide.

Despite the diplomatic tensions, US Africa Command, in collaboration with President Bola Tinubu’s administration, conducted airstrikes on suspected terrorist targets in Sokoto on December 25.

In January, filings with the US Department of Justice showed that Nigeria entered into a $9m contract with Washington-based lobbying firm DCI Group to highlight its efforts to protect Christian communities. Kaduna-based Aster Legal retained the firm on behalf of the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, with the agreement signed on December 17, 2025.

Separately, documents revealed that billionaire Matthew Tonlagha signed a $120,000-a-month, six-month contract with lobbying firm Valcour to engage US media, Congress and the Trump administration to strengthen US-Nigeria relations.

Valcour was founded in 2023 by former State Department adviser Matt Mowers. Tonlagha is vice-president of Tantita Security Services, an oil infrastructure protection company linked to former Niger Delta militant leader Oweizidei Ekpemupolo.

The hearing highlighted growing scrutiny in Washington over both Nigeria’s security challenges and its efforts to shape perceptions through high-cost lobbying.