Nigeria pays a US firm $4.5 million to communicate its efforts to protect Christians and maintain US support against jihadist groups.
LAGOS: Nigeria has hired a US lobbying firm to help maintain American support and counter what it calls misinformation about its efforts to protect Christians.
A filing with the US Department of Justice shows the government hired Washington-based DCI Group for an initial six months for $4.5 million.
A similar amount is due for another six months, according to the December 18 filing posted on the DOJ website.
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The agreement states DCI will help Nigeria “in communicating its actions to protect Nigerian’s Christian communities and maintaining U.S support in countering West African jihadist groups”.
US President Donald Trump redesignated Nigeria “a country of particular concern” in November over the killing of Christians.
The Nigerian government denies any systematic persecution, saying it tackles groups that attack both Muslim and Christian civilians.
DCI Group and the Nigerian presidency did not immediately comment on the filing, which appeared in Nigerian media on Wednesday.
Nigeria faces an Islamist insurgency in the northeast, kidnapping gangs in the northwest, and farmer-herder clashes in its middle belt.
The US military conducted an airstrike in northwest Nigeria on Christmas Day, which Trump said killed multiple Islamic State militants.
Trump told the New York Times last week there could be more strikes if Christians are killed.
On Tuesday, the US military’s Africa Command said it delivered critical military supplies to Nigeria to bolster its operations.
DCI’s website says it is comprised of “seasoned political operatives, communication strategists” and “experts at re-framing external narratives”. – Reuters
