Nigeria hired a Washington-based lobbying firm with close ties to the Republican Party to represent its interests in the US.
The $9 million deal with DCI Group appears to be a record for African lobbying in Washington, wrote The Africa Report. DCI will help Abuja “in communicating its actions to protect Nigerian’s Christian communities and maintaining US support in countering West African jihadist groups and other destabilizing elements,” according to a contract signed last month.
Nigeria had been scrambling to bolster its narrative in Washington in the face of US President Donald Trump accusing its government of mistreating Christians. Abuja had denied the allegations, with analysts noting that jihadist groups in the country’s north have targeted both Muslims and Christians. But on Christmas Day, the US struck IS-linked militants in Nigeria’s northwest: Trump called the air strike a “Christmas present,” while Abuja described the move as a “joint operation” that had “nothing to do with a particular religion.”