President Tinubu Approves $9m US Lobbying Deal as Trump, Nigeria Tensions Escalate

President Tinubu has reportedly approved $9m US Lobbying deal as Trump and Nigeria tensions escalate.

 

NewsOnline Nigeria reports that the Federal Government under President Bola Tinubu has reportedly approved a $9 million lobbying contract with a Republican-linked firm in Washington, as diplomatic tensions between Nigeria and the United States continue to rise.

 

An investigative report published by The Africa Report on Tuesday revealed that the agreement was designed to engage the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump and key American lawmakers over Nigeria’s security situation, especially the persistent killings of Christians in parts of northern Nigeria.

 

According to the report, Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, played a central role in arranging the deal through a Kaduna-based law firm, Aster Legal, which then engaged U.S. lobbying firm DCI Group.

 

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Filings with the U.S. Department of Justice show that the Tinubu administration has already paid DCI Group an initial $4.5 million on December 12, 2025. The payment represents a six-month retainer, with another $4.5 million scheduled for July 2026, bringing the total contract to $9 million, or about $750,000 monthly.

 

Under the agreement, DCI Group is expected to help the Nigerian government present its efforts at protecting Christian communities and to maintain U.S. support for Nigeria’s counterterrorism operations against jihadist groups in West Africa.

 

The contract was signed by Aster Legal’s Managing Director, Oyetunji Olalekan Teslim, and DCI Group’s Managing Partner, Justin Peterson, a Republican political strategist and ally of President Trump who previously served on Puerto Rico’s fiscal management board during Trump’s first term.

 

The lobbying deal was reportedly concluded shortly after President Trump redesignated Nigeria as a “country of particular concern” over what Washington described as Abuja’s failure to halt the widespread killing of Christians.

 

Just days later, the U.S. government announced a partial travel ban on Nigerians, affecting tourist, business and student visa applicants. The Trump administration cited high visa overstay rates and concerns about Nigeria’s security vetting systems as reasons for the move.

 

Tensions escalated further on December 25, 2025, when President Trump announced that U.S. forces had carried out airstrikes on suspected insurgent hideouts in Sokoto State, northern Nigeria. He also warned that additional military action could follow if attacks on Christian communities persist.