The Nigerian federal government’s approval of a $9 million lobbying contract in the United States has sparked intense criticism from opposition parties and security analysts, who argue the move reflects misplaced priorities amid worsening insecurity at home. The contract, awarded to Washington-based firm DCI Group, is aimed at influencing U.S. policymakers following former President Donald Trump’s October 2025 decision to redesignate Nigeria as a “country of particular concern” over alleged religious freedom violations, particularly the treatment of Christians controversy.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) swiftly condemned the agreement as “defective, shameful, and deceptive.” In a statement issued by spokesperson Ini Ememobong, the party questioned why the government would hire a foreign lobbying firm despite maintaining a fully staffed Ministry of Information led by seasoned professionals. The PDP also raised concerns over transparency, asking whether the contract was captured in the 2025 budget, why it was executed through private law firm Aster Legal instead of the Ministry of Justice, and what role Nigeria’s diplomatic missions abroad were playing. Ememobong argued that improving Nigeria’s global image requires tangible action—protecting lives, property, and freedom of worship—rather than spending millions on what he described as “ephemeral optics,” noting that Nigerians have never felt more insecure.

Echoing this criticism, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) described the expenditure as “scandalous” and emblematic of misplaced governance priorities. ADC national publicity secretary Bolaji Abdullahi cited filings with the US Department of Justice showing that Aster Legal, based in Kaduna State, hired DCI Group on behalf of National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu. The party argued that allocating scarce public funds to “launder Nigeria’s battered image abroad” while domestic security and economic crises deepen amounts to an admission of diplomatic failure. The ADC further warned that framing the lobbying effort around Christian protection risks inflaming sectarian tensions in a country already strained by religious and ethnic divisions, stressing that insecurity affects all Nigerians and demands accountability and effective governance at home priority.

Security and defence scholar Kunle Fagbemi also questioned both the necessity and cost of the lobbying deal. Speaking to ARISE NEWS, Fagbemi argued that the $9 million could have been better spent addressing attacks, abductions, infrastructure damage, and the growing needs of internally displaced persons. He noted that the U.S. government already has extensive intelligence-gathering capabilities through diplomatic, military, and development channels, as well as access to open-source information from Nigeria’s active diaspora, media landscape, and social media ecosystem, where millions of Nigerians regularly document events on the ground scrutiny.

Fagbemi pointed to recent unresolved security failures, including the January 2026 Kwasandaji Market attack, where dozens were killed or abducted, and the re-abduction of Papiri students, as stark examples of issues demanding urgent attention. He also questioned procurement procedures, asking why Aster Legal served as an intermediary and whether it functioned as a special purpose vehicle under Nigeria’s security framework. Calling for National Assembly oversight, particularly from the Senate and House Committees on Intelligence and Foreign Affairs, Fagbemi emphasized that the more than ₦13 billion equivalent spent on lobbying represents a massive opportunity cost that could have supported humanitarian relief and sustainable development. He urged the Office of the National Security Adviser to remain within its statutory advisory role, warning that such expenditures undermine public trust and contradict earlier government efforts to dismiss accusations of state failure accountability.