Nigerian Billionaire Hires US Lobbyists Amid Strained Washington-Abuja Relations

Documents reveal Nigerian billionaire Matthew Tonlagha has retained a prominent US lobbying firm to help mend diplomatic ties between Nigeria and the United States, following inflammatory remarks by former President Donald Trump.

The contract, valued at $120,000 per month for six months with the firm Valcour, aims to lobby US media, the Trump administration, and Congress to strengthen bilateral relations. This move mirrors a separate $750,000-per-month deal signed in December by Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, with the firm DCI.

These lobbying efforts are a direct response to unsubstantiated allegations made by Trump in late 2025, which framed Nigeria’s complex internal conflicts as a “genocide” of Christians a characterization rejected by the Nigerian government and independent analysts.

Tonlagha serves as Vice-President of Tantita Security, a company owned by former militant leader Oweizidei Thomas Ekpemupolo, which holds government contracts to protect oil installations. Ekpemupolo is a known supporter of President Bola Tinubu.

The diplomatic strain comes in the shadow of a US military airstrike in northwestern Nigeria on Christmas Day last year, which targeted jihadist groups but also caused civilian casualties and property damage, according to local reports.

Valcour was founded by Matt Mowers, a former Trump campaign adviser and State Department official, highlighting the strategic nature of the hire as Nigeria seeks to navigate the current US political landscape.