Nigeria Steps Up Lobbying in Washington After Trump’s Genocide Claims

Nigeria has stepped up its lobbying efforts in Washington following controversial claims by US President Donald Trump that violence in the country amounts to the “persecution” and “genocide” of Christians.

Documents reviewed by AFP show that Nigerian billionaire Matthew Tonlagha has signed a six month contract with the American lobbying firm Valcour, worth $120,000 per month. The deal requires Valcour to lobby US media, Congress, and the Trump administration to strengthen ties between Nigeria and the United States.

This comes after Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, concluded a separate agreement in December with another US firm, DCI, valued at $750,000 per month. DCI’s declared role is to help Abuja communicate its efforts to protect Christian communities and maintain US support in the fight against jihadist groups and other destabilizing forces in West Africa.

Trump’s accusations, made in late 2025, have been widely rejected by the Nigerian government and independent analysts, who argue that the country’s violence stems from overlapping conflicts involving jihadist groups, criminal gangs, and communal tensions. Critics say the “genocide” narrative has long been promoted by the American religious right.

Valcour, the firm hired by Tonlagha, was founded in 2023 by Matt Mowers, a former White House adviser during Trump’s first term. Tonlagha himself is vice president of Tantita Security, a company that protects oil facilities in Nigeria. Tantita is owned by Oweizidei Thomas Ekpemupolo, a former leader of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND).

MEND was active in the 2000s, attacking oil and gas facilities and kidnapping workers in protest against the exploitation of local resources. A government amnesty in 2009 ended much of the violence, and Ekpemupolo later secured lucrative contracts to protect oil installations. He is now a supporter of President Bola Tinubu and backs his bid for re election in 2027.

Meanwhile, tensions remain high in Nigeria. On Christmas Day last year, US military strikes targeted areas in the northwest, which Washington said were occupied by Islamic State fighters, members of the Lakurawa jihadist group, and armed bandits. The Nigerian government confirmed the targets but did not release casualty figures. Journalists on the ground reported damage to farmland and civilian buildings, along with injuries among residents.

Nigeria’s lobbying push highlights the government’s determination to counter negative narratives abroad and secure stronger ties with Washington at a time of heightened scrutiny.