United States lawmakers have raised strong objections to Nigeria’s reported $9m lobbying arrangement in Washington, arguing that the deal appears designed to soften international scrutiny over religious freedom and human rights concerns in the country.

The criticism emerged during a congressional hearing held on Wednesday by the House Subcommittee on Africa alongside the Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere. The session focused on global religious freedom and examined Nigeria’s recent designation as a Country of Particular Concern under US law.

Former US Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom, Sam Brownback, and former chair of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom, Stephen Schneck, provided testimony during the hearing, which examined the roots of violence and insecurity in Nigeria.

Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Africa Subcommittee, Chris Smith, defended the October 2025 decision to classify Nigeria under the Country of Particular Concern category, describing the move as overdue given years of attacks on Christian communities. He expressed discomfort with efforts to counter the designation through high-cost lobbying.

Smith said he was troubled by reports that the Nigerian government had engaged the services of Washington-based firm DCI Group at a cost of about $9m, describing the arrangement as an attempt to present an overly reassuring narrative about conditions in the country.

He also cited a separate lobbying contract involving a Nigerian businessman and another US consulting firm aimed at influencing Congress and the executive branch.

While Smith maintained that pressure from Washington was necessary, the ranking member of the subcommittee, Sara Jacobs, cautioned against viewing Nigeria’s security crisis solely through a religious lens. She argued that violence in the country affects both Christians and Muslims and is driven by a mix of terrorism, criminality, and long-standing social tensions.

Jacobs also criticised the reduction of US assistance to Nigeria, noting that several peacebuilding and interfaith programmes had been discontinued despite their role in reducing violence in affected communities. She warned that simplified narratives could deepen divisions and worsen instability.

Questions were also raised about recent US military strikes carried out in northern Nigeria. Jacobs argued that the strikes had failed to deliver meaningful protection for vulnerable communities, while Schneck suggested that the cost of military action likely exceeded previous funding allocated to humanitarian and interfaith initiatives.

Schneck further warned that military interventions could inadvertently strengthen militant groups by pushing them into closer cooperation. He described Nigeria’s security challenges as complex, citing insurgency by Boko Haram and ISWAP, farmer-herder clashes, banditry, organised crime, mass displacement, and weak governance.

The hearing also explored whether Nigeria’s Country of Particular Concern designation was sufficient without additional measures. Brownback argued that the classification would have little impact unless accompanied by targeted sanctions and economic penalties, including Magnitsky-style sanctions against individuals.

Other lawmakers expressed differing views, with some suggesting recent US actions had at least renewed international focus on Nigeria. Brownback, however, said the Nigerian government had not done enough to earn trust, accusing it of failing to protect vulnerable communities and abandoning inclusive political practices.

The debate comes amid heightened tension between Abuja and Washington over claims that Christians in Nigeria face genocide allegations repeatedly made by US President Donald Trump but rejected by the Nigerian government.

Authorities in Abuja maintain that the country’s insecurity is not religiously targeted but driven by terrorism and criminal violence affecting all groups.

Despite the disagreements, US Africa Command has continued cooperation with Nigeria’s government, including airstrikes carried out on December 25 against terrorist targets in Sokoto State.

Documents released in January showed that Nigeria entered into a lobbying agreement with DCI Group to communicate its efforts on religious protection to US officials. Records also revealed a separate contract involving a Nigerian billionaire and the Washington-based firm Valcour to lobby US institutions and media outlets.

Both agreements were disclosed under US laws requiring foreign lobbying activities to be publicly registered.