The Federal Government has hired a United States-based public affairs and lobbying firm, DCI Group, in a 9 million dollars contract to communicate Nigeria’s actions on protecting Christian communities to the U.S. Government.
According to a lobbying contract document filed with the U.S. Department of Justice, the services of DCI Group were engaged by Aster Legal, a Kaduna-based law firm, on behalf of the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu.
DCI Group is a U.S.-based public affairs and lobbying firm.
The agreement was signed on Dec. 17, 2025, by Mr Oyetunji Olalekan Teslim, Managing Partner of Aster Legal, and Mr Justin Peterson, Managing Member of DCI Group.
Details of the contract showed that the firm is expected to “assist the Nigerian government through Aster Legal in communicating its actions to protect Nigerian Christian communities and maintaining U.S. support in countering West African jihadist groups and other destabilizing elements”.
The contract is for an initial period of six months, ending June 30, 2026, and is to be automatically renewed for another six months.
It also contains a clause allowing either party to terminate the agreement for any reason without penalty, provided a 60-day advance written notice is given.
The document further indicated that Nigeria paid the firm 4.5 million dollars on Dec. 12 as a six-month retainer pre-payment.
“Client shall pay Consultant a monthly retainer seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars ($750,000; being full payment of professional fees and expenses covered under this agreement).
“The monthly payment shall be made in two (2) six-month installments of four million five hundred thousand dollars ($4,500,000) one due (a) upon execution of this Agreement and the other (b) upon expiration of six months from the effective date,” the fee and expenses section of the contract reads.
The engagement followed increased interest by the U.S. Government in reports of killings of Christians in Nigeria.
In October, former U.S. President Donald Trump redesignated Nigeria as a “country of particular concern” over allegations of a Christian genocide in the country.
The Nigerian Government has repeatedly denied claims of genocide against Christians and pledged to engage with the U.S. authorities on the matter.
In November, Trump was quoted as threatening to go into Nigeria “guns-a-blazing to wipe out the terrorists killing our cherished Christians”, following repeated claims by some U.S. politicians of genocide against Christians in the West African nation.
On Christmas Day, the U.S. reportedly launched air strikes against two terrorist enclaves in the Bauni forest in Tangaza Local Government Area of Sokoto State.
