The Nigerian federal government's approval of a $9 million contract for lobbying services in the United States has ignited widespread condemnation from prominent political parties and security experts. The contract, awarded to DCI Group, a lobbying firm, was intended to communicate the government's efforts in protecting Christians in Nigeria to the US government, following US President Donald Trump's October 2025 redesignation of Nigeria as a 'country of particular concern (CPC)' due to alleged religious freedom violations.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) swiftly denounced the deal as "defective, shameful and deceptive." Through its spokesperson, Ini Ememobong, the PDP expressed dismay that the government resorted to hiring a foreign firm for international image management despite having a fully staffed Ministry of Information led by experienced professionals. Ememobong questioned the contract's transparency, demanding clarification on its inclusion in the 2025 budget, its execution through a private law firm (Aster Legal) rather than the Ministry of Justice, and the roles of diplomatic officers abroad. The PDP argued that genuine change in global perception requires investing in protecting lives and properties, not "deceptive communication," stressing that Nigerians have never felt more insecure. They urged President Bola Tinubu to prioritize the safety and freedom of worship for all Nigerians and to reduce mass killings, believing these achievements would naturally improve global perception, rather than seeking "easy public validation through ephemeral optics."

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) echoed these criticisms, describing the $9 million expenditure as "scandalous" and indicative of "misplaced priorities." Bolaji Abdullahi, ADC's national publicity secretary, highlighted the contract's filing with the US Department of Justice, which identified Aster Legal in Kaduna state as having hired DCI Group on behalf of National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu. The ADC condemned the allocation of scarce public resources to "launder its battered image abroad" instead of addressing severe domestic security and economic crises. The party labeled the decision an "admission of diplomatic failure," questioning why a government with vacant ambassadorial positions would outsource diplomacy. The ADC also warned that framing the lobbying effort as a "campaign to communicate Christian protection efforts" risked exacerbating sectarian tensions in a country already strained by religious and ethnic fault lines, asserting that security failures affect all Nigerians and require justice, accountability, and effective governance at home.

Security and Defence Scholar Kunle Fagbemi, in an interview with ARISE NEWS, further challenged the rationale and cost of the lobbying initiative. He argued that the $9 million could be far better utilized for urgent domestic needs, including addressing attacks, abductions, and infrastructure rebuilding, as well as supporting internally displaced persons (IDPs). Fagbemi questioned the necessity of hiring lobbyists given the US government's extensive capacity to gather information through diplomatic, military, and development channels, as well as open-source data from Nigeria's vibrant diaspora and media ecosystem, including social media platforms where millions of Nigerians are active. He cited specific instances of recent security failures, such as the Kwasandaji Market attack in January 2026 where dozens were killed and abducted, and the re-abduction of Papiri students, contrasting these unresolved crises with the government's significant spending on lobbying.

Fagbemi also raised concerns about the procurement procedures, questioning the role of Aster Legal as an intermediary entity and whether it functions as a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) under Nigeria's security defense management. He called for thorough oversight from the National Assembly, particularly the Senate and House Committees on Intelligence and Foreign Affairs, to investigate the contract given that the authorizing person on the Nigerian side was identified as National Security Adviser Malam Nuhu Ribadu. Fagbemi emphasized the opportunity cost, stating that such a "humongous resource," exceeding 13 billion naira, could have been deployed more meaningfully towards sustainable development goals and humanitarian needs. He urged the Office of the National Security Adviser to adhere strictly to its statutory advisory role to prevent future misallocations of resources, lamenting that the current spending casts a negative light on Nigerian officials who previously downplayed accusations against the state.