Tinubu Government Pays $9M Lobbyist to Appease Trump Amid US Strike Threats
By: Abudu Olalekan
Tinubu government pays Republican lobbyist $9 million to appease Trump administration amid threats of further US military strikes on Nigeria.
Man, things must be tight in Abuja. Real tight. Reports are flying around that President Bola Tinubu’s government has inked a deal. A massive deal. We’re talking $9 million. Yes, nine million big ones, heading straight to a Republican-linked lobbying firm in Washington D.C. Why? To talk nicely to Donald Trump. To stop what looks like… well, potential trouble from the US.
This isn’t chump change. This is some serious cash being moved around, trying to smooth things over before the 2027 elections back home. You gotta wonder about the timing.
The whole thing, as unearthed by The Africa Report, involves the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu. He helped set up the contract with this firm, DCI Group. But get this—the connection isn’t direct. It went through a local Kaduna law firm, Aster Legal. A middleman. Subtle, right?
The core issue is insecurity. Specifically, the terrible killings of Christians up north. The lobbying effort is purely aimed at convincing the Trump White House and key Congress folks that Nigeria is finally doing something serious about it. They need U.S. support against those jihadist groups trying to tear things apart.
The paperwork filed with the U.S. Department of Justice shows the first chunk already moved. December 12, 2025. Forty-five million dollars hit the DCI Group account. That’s just a six-month retainer! The second $4.5 million is due by July 2026. That makes it $750,000 a month. That’s easily one of the priciest lobbying gigs an African nation has ever bought. Ouch.
DCI Group’s Managing Partner is Justin Peterson. He’s a known Republican strategist. Close to Trump, too. He even had a role on Puerto Rico’s management board back when Trump was in office the first time. You hire the guy who knows the owner. Smart, if you can afford it.
This whole agreement was signed, sealed, delivered just weeks after Trump went hard on Nigeria. He formally redesignated the country as a “country of particular concern.” That’s official US language for “we are very unhappy with your human rights record,” especially regarding the Christians.
And the pressure didn’t stop there. Four days after the lobbying handshake, the US slapped a partial travel ban on Nigerians. Visas for tourists, business folks, students—all caught in the crossfire. The official reason cited was high visa overstay rates and a shaky security vetting framework.
Tensions went nuclear on Christmas Day, December 25th, 2025. Trump announced US forces hit targets in northern Nigeria. An airstrike in Sokoto State, aimed at suspected insurgents. That’s a military action on sovereign soil. Trump followed that up with a clear warning: more strikes if the violence against Christian communities didn’t stop. Intense.
It’s not just DCI Group doing the heavy lifting, though. Nigeria’s Ministry of Finance also paid Johanna Blanc, a former congressional foreign policy official, a smaller fee—$5,000—just to draft a letter. The letter went to Congressman Chris Smith ahead of a hearing on the security crisis. Funny detail: While the filings said she worked for the Finance Ministry, she clarified the letter was actually written on behalf of Senate President Godswill Akpabio. They are using every channel available. Akpabio invited the subcommittee to visit Abuja. “Strengthen diplomatic cooperation,” the letter said. Sure.
Former Pentagon official Chidi Blyden, who served under Biden, noted the sheer size of the DCI contract shows how badly Tinubu wants to repair the strained relationship with the Trump camp. Given the ongoing US strikes, open communication is vital. It’s a clear signal, he says. Tinubu wants this relationship, and he’s using the private sector to buy that access.
