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The Federal Government spent N500 million in 2025 on an emergency strategic communications campaign aimed at countering what it described as coordinated Western propaganda alleging the persecution of Christians in Nigeria, according to records on the government’s expenditure tracking platform, GovSpend.
The payment record shows that N500,000,000 was released on December 19, 2025, to the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Policy Communications.
The expenditure was described 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 spending underscores the Federal Government’s efforts to shape international narratives amid increasing global scrutiny over Nigeria’s security situation and allegations of religious persecution.
The communications campaign coincided with the Federal Government’s engagement of a United States lobbying firm under a $9 million contract to strengthen Nigeria’s engagement with U.S. policymakers on allegations of attacks against Christian communities.
Documents filed under the U.S. Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) showed that Aster Legal, a Kaduna-based law firm, retained DCI Group, a Washington-based public affairs and lobbying firm, on behalf of the Office of the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu.
The agreement, signed on December 18, 2025, tasked DCI Group with communicating Nigeria’s efforts to protect Christian communities while sustaining U.S. support for counter-terrorism operations against jihadist groups and other security threats in West Africa.
Under the arrangement, the government agreed to pay the firm $750,000 monthly, amounting to $9 million annually if renewed. The contract required an initial $4.5 million six-month retainer, with another $4.5 million payable after the first six months. The lobbying initiative followed heightened criticism from U.S. policymakers over 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 severe violations of religious freedom.
The CPC designation is one of the U.S. government’s most serious classifications for countries accused of engaging in or tolerating serious religious freedom violations and may lead to sanctions or other diplomatic measures, although such penalties can be waived for national security or foreign policy reasons.
Despite the redesignation, security cooperation between Nigeria and the United States has continued through intelligence sharing, military training, defence equipment sales, logistics support and humanitarian assistance in the fight against Boko Haram, ISWAP and other extremist groups.
The Federal Government recently released what it described as a letter from President Trump to President Bola Tinubu, in which the U.S. leader acknowledged violence affecting Christian communities while reaffirming America’s support for Nigeria’s counter-terrorism efforts.
“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.”
He added that both countries shared a common objective of confronting terrorism.
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“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 Federal Government has consistently maintained that Nigeria’s security challenges are driven by terrorism, banditry, communal conflicts and other criminal activities rather than any policy of religious persecution.
Officials insist that victims of violence include both Christians and Muslims and that security agencies target criminal and terrorist groups irrespective of religion or ethnicity.
The government’s communication efforts come amid worsening insecurity across the country.
According to data from the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data (ACLED), Nigeria recorded 7,956 conflict incidents between July 2025 and June 2026, resulting in approximately 15,000 deaths and exposing an estimated 66.8 million people to violence and insecurity.
The figures indicate an average of 663 conflict incidents each month, 126 every week, and more than 21 daily, while fatalities averaged 1,237 monthly, 285 weekly, and about 41 every day.
Nigeria accounted for 6.11 per cent of all conflict-related deaths recorded globally during the period.
Among the states most affected were Borno (1,218 incidents), Katsina (958), Zamfara (885), Sokoto (599), Kaduna (390), Benue (377) and Plateau (346).
Tinubu Pledges to Defeat Terrorism
President Bola Tinubu has repeatedly pledged to end terrorism and banditry across the country.
Speaking earlier this year at the opening of the Second National Economic Council Conference in Abuja, 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.”
The report noted that the Federal Government is not the only Nigerian entity to engage foreign lobbying firms.
