Nigerian Businessman Spends $720k on US Lobbying Amid Diplomatic Tensions
The Nigerian businessman US lobbying deal making headlines signals a bold private sector push to reshape Nigeria’s international image and protect its strategic interests in Washington. Chief MacDonald Tonlagha, a prominent businessman and close associate of Government Ekpemupolo, widely known as Tompolo, has committed $720,000 to hire top American lobbying firms to strengthen diplomatic engagement between Nigeria and the United States.
Chief MacDonald Tonlagha, a well known businessman and close associate of Niger Delta leader Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo, has engaged two powerful American lobbying outfits to counter damaging narratives about Nigeria’s security situation and strengthen bilateral ties with the United States.
Official filings under the US Foreign Agents Registration Act confirm that the contract involves Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, one of Washington’s most influential bipartisan lobbying firms, and Lanny J. Davis and Associates, led by a former White House Special Counsel to President Bill Clinton.
The move follows controversial remarks from former US President Donald Trump and allies, who have alleged a so called Christian genocide in Nigeria. Nigerian stakeholders fear the claims could fuel hostile policy decisions, threaten foreign investment, and undermine security cooperation between both countries if left unchallenged.
Sources familiar with the lobbying strategy say the engagement is designed to brief members of Congress, State Department officials, and key policy influencers on what they describe as the complex and non religious drivers of violence in Nigeria, including climate stress, land disputes, banditry, and insurgency.
The lobbying initiative will also seek to facilitate direct access between Nigerian private sector leaders and US lawmakers, while organizing policy briefings and media engagements aimed at reshaping how Nigeria is perceived in Washington.
Analysts say the $720,000 deal represents one of the most aggressive private sector diplomatic interventions ever undertaken by a Nigerian individual in the United States. The goal, according to documents tied to the engagement, is to prevent misinformation from influencing US foreign policy decisions that could result in sanctions or economic restrictions.
Tonlagha’s role has drawn attention because of his ties to the Niger Delta and maritime security operations. With Nigeria’s oil infrastructure and Gulf of Guinea security closely linked to US technical and intelligence support, observers say stable relations with Washington remain critical.
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The move has sparked debate in Nigeria, with critics questioning the growing role of private citizens in shaping foreign policy. Supporters argue the government has struggled to effectively counter hostile narratives abroad, making professional advocacy in Washington a necessary defensive measure.
As tensions simmer, political watchers will be monitoring whether this lobbying push succeeds in shifting US policy discussions away from inflammatory rhetoric and toward renewed strategic cooperation with Africa’s largest economy.
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