By LEVI JOHNSON
Senior United States lawmakers have sharply criticised the administration of President Bola Tinubu over Nigeria’s reported $9 million lobbying contract in Washington, raising concerns that the deal is aimed at softening international scrutiny over religious freedom and human rights violations in the country.
The criticism emerged during a high-profile congressional hearing on global religious freedom, where US legislators questioned both Nigeria’s domestic handling of insecurity and the Federal Government’s decision to invest heavily in lobbying efforts rather than addressing root causes of violence at home.
Congressional Hearing Raises Red Flags Over Nigeria’s Lobbying Push
The concerns were aired on Wednesday during a joint hearing of the US House Subcommittee on Africa and the Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, titled “Defending Religious Freedom Around the World.” The session featured testimonies from 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.
Lawmakers used the forum to examine Nigeria’s worsening security situation, particularly attacks affecting religious communities, and the Federal Government’s response to recent US actions, including Nigeria’s designation as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) under the International Religious Freedom Act.
Chris Smith Defends CPC Designation, Questions $9m Lobbying Deal
Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Africa Subcommittee, Representative Chris Smith, described Nigeria’s CPC designation in October 2025 as “long overdue,” citing years of deadly violence against Christian communities and the failure of authorities to hold perpetrators accountable.
However, Smith said he was deeply troubled by efforts to counter that designation through aggressive lobbying in Washington.
“I just want to say to my colleagues that I am deeply concerned that Nigeria has hired the lobbying firm, DCI Group, to the tune of $9 million — about $750,000 a month,” Smith told the hearing.
He further revealed that a Nigerian billionaire had also entered into a $120,000-per-month contract with Washington-based consulting firm Valcour, allegedly to influence both Congress and the US Executive Branch.
According to Smith, such lobbying campaigns often rely on polished narratives that downplay realities on the ground.
“They come up with very well-written talking points to say there’s nothing to see here,” he said, lamenting what he described as sophisticated advocacy that glosses over religious freedom concerns.
Lawmakers Split on Framing of Nigeria’s Crisis
While Smith strongly backed the CPC designation as a necessary pressure tool, Ranking Member Sara Jacobs raised concerns about what she described as an overly narrow focus on Christian persecution in Nigeria.
Jacobs argued that although religious violence is a serious issue, the crisis is far more complex and affects both Christians and Muslims across different regions.
“The violence in Nigeria is complex, affecting both Christians and Muslims,” she said, warning that reducing the crisis to a single religious narrative risks inflaming tensions rather than resolving them.
She also criticised the United States for cutting hundreds of millions of dollars in foreign assistance to Nigeria, including programmes that supported faith leaders and communities affected by conflict, particularly in the Middle Belt.
Cuts to Peace Programmes and Criticism of Military Action
Jacobs specifically cited the termination of the Community Initiatives to Promote Peace programme, which she said had contributed to reducing violence in some parts of Nigeria.
Despite Washington’s stated concern about religious tensions, she argued that the withdrawal of funding undermined grassroots peacebuilding efforts.
She also questioned the effectiveness of recent US military strikes carried out in Sokoto State over Christmas, reportedly under President Donald Trump’s directive.
“And yet, it is clear that President Trump only cares about Christians in Nigeria,” Jacobs said, adding that the military action had not materially improved the lives of affected communities.
Former USCIRF Chair Warns Against Militarisation
Backing Jacobs’ position, former USCIRF Chair Dr Stephen Schneck warned that military responses could worsen instability and even embolden militant groups.
He noted that the cost of US Tomahawk missiles used in the strikes likely exceeded the funding previously allocated to interfaith dialogue and humanitarian assistance in Nigeria.
“In fact, it occurs to me that the cost of the Tomahawk missiles probably exceeded the amount of money that had previously been going to Nigeria to improve interfaith relations,” Schneck said.
He described Nigeria’s security crisis as a complex mix of terrorism by Boko Haram and ISWAP, farmer-herder clashes, banditry, organised crime, mass displacement, and what he termed “a corrupt and frankly, a failing government” struggling to provide security and justice.
Calls for Sanctions and Stronger Measures
Lawmakers also debated whether Nigeria’s CPC designation was sufficient on its own. Representative Jefferson Shreve questioned its effectiveness, prompting Brownback to argue that the label must be backed by concrete actions.
“Until you put some bite into it, most of these dictators are just going to thumb their nose at you,” Brownback said, advocating Magnitsky sanctions and targeted economic penalties.
Schneck agreed, describing CPC listings as largely a “name-and-shame” mechanism without real consequences unless reinforced by sanctions.
Tinubu Government Under Growing International Scrutiny
Although Representative Bill Huizenga said recent US actions had helped refocus attention on Nigeria, Brownback expressed deep mistrust of the Federal Government, accusing it of abandoning power-sharing traditions and failing to protect vulnerable communities.
“This government has not given us any reason to trust them,” he said, reflecting the scepticism that dominated the hearing.
President Trump has repeatedly claimed that Christians in Nigeria face genocide and has previously threatened military action. The Nigerian government, however, has rejected those claims, insisting that while insecurity remains severe, there is no genocide.
Despite diplomatic tensions, US Africa Command, working with the Tinubu administration, carried out airstrikes on December 25 against terrorist targets in Sokoto State.
In January, filings revealed that the Federal Government had entered into a $9 million contract with US-based lobbying firm DCI Group to communicate Nigeria’s efforts to protect Christians to US officials. Documents showed that Kaduna-based Aster Legal retained DCI Group on behalf of the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, with the agreement signed on December 17, 2025.
As scrutiny intensifies in Washington, the Tinubu-led government now faces mounting questions over whether millions spent on lobbying could be better used to address Nigeria’s deepening security and human rights challenges.
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