Nigeria spends $9 million on Washington lobbying amid security challenges

Nigeria’s administration under President Bola Tinubu has engaged in an expensive lobbying effort in Washington, D.C., to manage the country’s international reputation. National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu reportedly facilitated a $9 million contract with the DCI Group, a firm led by Republican strategist Justin Peterson. The initiative aims to persuade U.S. officials that Nigeria is addressing domestic insecurity, particularly following the redesignation of Nigeria as a “country of particular concern” by the Trump administration.

The effectiveness of this investment is being challenged by a separate, less expensive $1.2 million lobbying campaign by opposition figure Atiku Abubakar. Retained by the firm Von Batten-Montague-York, the opposition campaign is working to undermine diplomatic goals, such as a potential meeting between Tinubu and Trump at the UN General Assembly.

Separately, Nuhu Ribadu’s three-year tenure as National Security Adviser has been marked by efforts to coordinate Nigeria’s security architecture against terrorism, banditry, and organized crime. Reports indicate that over 13,000 terrorists and bandits have been neutralized during his term, addressing complex threats including insurgency in the North-East and mass kidnappings in the North-West.