US Congressman Barry Moore has sponsored a new bill aiming to outlaw paid lobbying on behalf of the Nigerian government within the United States.
Moore introduced H.R. 10939, legislation that prohibits the Nigerian government from hiring US lobbyists for as long as the United States designates Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC).
The measure imposes strict penalties on any lobbying firm that accepts funds to represent Nigerian government interests while the nation remains on the CPC list.
The legislative move comes amid mounting concerns within the US Congress over alleged Christian persecution and genocide in Nigeria.
Rep. Moore claimed that the Nigerian government spent millions of dollars hiring Washington lobbyists to deny the killings of Christians, while taking minimal action to halt the attacks.
“For too long, the Nigerian government has paid high-priced lobbyists in Washington to cover up the persecution of Christians while doing little to stop it. This bill will end that,” Moore said.
If passed, the bill will make it illegal for any individual or organization in the United States to accept payment for lobbying on behalf of the Nigerian government until authorities lift the Country of Particular Concern designation.
The House Committee on Foreign Affairs has received the bill for further legislative consideration.
The US Department of State previously re-designated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern in 2025 due to ongoing religious freedom violations.
Backstory…
he latest move by US Congressman Barry Moore to restrict Nigeria’s use of paid lobbyists in Washington comes amid escalating tensions between Abuja and Washington over allegations of Christian persecution and the Nigerian government’s handling of religious violence.
The controversy intensified in October 2025 when US President Donald Trump redesignated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) over alleged violations of religious freedom. The designation, made under the International Religious Freedom Act, applies to countries accused of engaging in or tolerating particularly severe violations of religious freedom.
Following the designation, the Nigerian government hired Washington-based lobbying and consulting firm DCI Group to communicate its efforts to protect Christian communities and counter what it described as misinformation about the country’s security situation. A filing with the US Department of Justice showed that the six-month contract, signed in December 2025, was valued at $4.5 million, with a possible additional $4.5 million renewal for another six months.
The arrangement brought scrutiny from US lawmakers and religious freedom advocacy groups, who questioned why Nigeria was spending millions of dollars on lobbying while attacks and killings continued across the country.
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