‎‎The Federal Government spent N500 million in 2025 on an emergency strategic communications campaign to counter what it described as coordinated Western propaganda alleging the persecution of Christians in Nigeria, records on the government’s expenditure tracking platform, GovSpend, have shown.

‎According to the payment record, N500,000,000 was disbursed for a “Fund to SA to President on Media & Policy Communications for emergency Strategic Communications & Global Media Engagement to counter coordinated Western propaganda against the government on alleged Christian persecution.”

‎The payment was made on December 19, 2025 was under the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Policy Communications.

‎‎The expenditure highlights the government’s investment in strategic communications amid growing international scrutiny over Nigeria’s security situation and allegations of religious persecution.

‎‎The N500 million expenditure came in the same year the Federal Government hired a United States lobbying firm under a $9 million contract to strengthen Nigeria’s engagement with U.S. officials over allegations of attacks on Christian communities.

‎‎Documents filed under the U.S. Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) seen by Daily Trust showed that Aster Legal, a Kaduna-based law firm, retained DCI Group, a U.S.-based public affairs and lobbying firm, on behalf of the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.

‎‎The agreement, signed on December 18, 2025, stated that DCI Group would assist the Nigerian government in communicating its actions to protect Nigerian Christian communities and maintaining U.S. support in countering West African jihadist groups and other destabilising elements.

‎‎Under the agreement, the government committed to paying the firm $750,000 monthly, amounting to $9 million over one year if renewed. The payment terms required an upfront $4.5 million six-month retainer, with another $4.5 million due after the initial six months.

‎‎The lobbying contract followed heightened scrutiny from U.S. policymakers over reports of violence affecting Christian communities in Nigeria. In October 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump redesignated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) over allegations of widespread persecution of Christians.

‎‎A CPC designation is among the U.S. government’s most serious classifications for countries accused of engaging in or tolerating severe violations of religious freedom. The designation can lead to sanctions or other policy measures, although the U.S. President may waive punitive actions where national security or foreign policy interests apply.‎

‎Despite the redesignation, security cooperation between Nigeria and the United States has continued. The U.S. has remained one of Nigeria’s key security partners in the fight against Boko Haram, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) and other extremist groups through intelligence sharing, military training, defence equipment sales, logistics support and humanitarian assistance.

The Nigerian government recently released what it described as a letter from U.S. President Donald Trump to President Bola Tinubu in which Trump acknowledged violence affecting Christian communities while reaffirming U.S. support for Nigeria’s counterterrorism efforts.

According to the statement issued by the Nigerian government, Trump wrote: “Thank you for your thoughtful letter. Your kind words mean a great deal to me, and I appreciate your decisive leadership on behalf of the Nigerian people. I applaud your resolve to tackle the issues plaguing your nation, especially the violence affecting Christian communities, and it is a true honour to stand with you in the fight against terrorists and to make the Federal Republic of Nigeria stronger and more prosperous.

“The United States-Nigeria relationship is crucial at a time where conflict has spread across West Africa and around the world. We both share a mutual goal of confronting terrorism in all its forms, and our historic U.S.-Nigeria 2026 Defence Cooperation Roadmap has established a robust framework to accomplish this feat,” the letter read in part.

‎The Federal Government has consistently argued that Nigeria’s security crisis is driven by terrorism, banditry, communal conflicts and other forms of criminality rather than a policy of religious persecution, maintaining that both Christians and Muslims have been victims of the violence.

‎‎Taken together, the GovSpend record and the U.S. lobbying contract indicate that the Federal Government pursued both domestic and international communications strategies to counter narratives about religious violence in Nigeria.

‎Nigeria’s efforts to counter allegations of Christian persecution have unfolded against the backdrop of a worsening security crisis that has continued to attract international concern.

‎Analysis of data from the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data (ACLED) shows that Nigeria recorded 7,956 conflict events between July 2025 and June 2026, resulting in about 15,000 deaths and exposing an estimated 66.8 million people to violence and insecurity.

‎‎The figures indicate that Nigeria averaged 663 conflict incidents every month, 126 every week, and more than 21 every day during the period. Fatalities averaged 1,237 deaths monthly, 285 weekly, and about 41 daily.

‎‎The data also show that Nigeria accounted for 6.11 per cent of all conflict-related deaths recorded globally during the period.

‎‎A breakdown of the figures showed that violence against civilians accounted for 3,494 incidents, followed by 2,458 battles, 739 strategic developments, 734 protests, 278 riots, and 253 explosions or remote violence incidents.

‎State-by-state analysis placed Borno at the top with 1,218 conflict events, followed by Katsina (958), Zamfara (885), Sokoto (599), Kaduna (390), Benue (377) and Plateau (346).

‎The figures underscore the scale of Nigeria’s security challenges, including insurgency, armed banditry, farmer-herder clashes, communal violence, separatist attacks and widespread kidnappings for ransom, which have continued to shape international perceptions of the country’s human rights and religious freedom record.

‎‎Despite the security challenges, President Bola Tinubu has repeatedly pledged to defeat terrorism and banditry.

‎‎Speaking at the opening of the Second National Economic Council Conference in Abuja earlier this year, the President said: “I assure you we will win with determination and resilience. We will overcome this unacceptable terrorism and banditry. It’s not part of our culture. It’s foreign to us.”

‎‎While some international advocacy groups have argued that Christians are disproportionately targeted in parts of Nigeria, the Federal Government has consistently rejected allegations of state-backed religious persecution, insisting that victims of terrorism, banditry and communal violence include both Christians and Muslims and that security operations target criminal and terrorist groups irrespective of religious affiliation.

‎‎The Federal Government is not the only Nigerian actor to engage foreign lobbying firms.

‎‎Over the years, several state governments and public institutions have retained U.S.-based lobbying and public affairs firms to promote investment, strengthen diplomatic engagement, improve their international image and engage policymakers.

‎‎Separatist groups have also adopted similar strategies. Organisations linked to the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and the broader Biafra movement have, at different times, retained lobbying firms and public affairs consultants in the United States to influence policymakers, raise international awareness of their cause and advocate for self-determination through engagements disclosed under the U.S. Foreign Agents Registration Act. (Daily Trust)

Update news