The Federal Government spent N500 million in 2025 on an emergency strategic communications campaign to push back against what it described as coordinated Western propaganda over claims that Christians are being persecuted in Nigeria, according to records on the GovSpend expenditure tracking platform.
The records show that N500,000,000 was released as 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, made on December 19, 2025, went through the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Policy Communications. It reflected the government’s investment in strategic communications as international attention grew over Nigeria’s security situation and allegations of religious persecution.
The spending came the same year the government signed a $9 million contract with U.S. lobbying firm DCI Group through Kaduna-based Aster Legal on behalf of National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu. Documents filed under the U.S. Foreign Agents Registration Act showed the agreement, signed on December 18, 2025, was meant to help explain Nigeria’s efforts to protect Christian communities and maintain U.S. backing in the fight against Boko Haram, ISWAP and other extremist groups.
The contract provided for monthly payments of $750,000, totalling $9 million over one year if renewed, with an initial $4.5 million retainer and another $4.5 million due after six months.
The lobbying deal followed increased concern from U.S. officials after President Donald Trump redesignated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern in October 2025 over claims of widespread persecution of Christians. Despite that move, both countries continued security cooperation.
The Nigerian government later released what it said was a letter from Trump to President Bola Tinubu. In it, 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 maintained that Nigeria’s security problems are caused by terrorism, banditry, communal clashes and other crimes, not religious persecution, insisting that Christians and Muslims have both suffered from the violence. GovSpend records and the U.S. lobbying deal show the government used both local and international communication efforts to challenge claims of religious persecution.
