Nigerian CEO hires U.S. lobbying agency for $720,000 to spice up Nigeria-US relations
CEO of Maton Engineering Nigeria Restricted, Matthew Tonlagha, has entered right into a lobbying and strategic communications contract in the US for $720,000.
Tonlagha entered this beneath the Overseas Brokers Registration Act (FARA), in keeping with filings submitted to the U.S. Division of Justice.
The registration, filed on January 9, 2026, reveals that Washington-based consulting agency Valcour, LLC has been engaged to offer authorities affairs and strategic communications companies on behalf of Maton Engineering Nigeria Restricted.
The contract is aimed toward strengthening bilateral relations between Nigeria and the US, notably via engagements with U.S. media, Congress, and the Government Department.
This interprets to a complete contract worth of as much as $720,000 over the six-month interval, excluding reimbursable bills akin to journey and associated prices. FARA filings affirm that at the very least $360,000 had already been obtained from the Nigerian agency as of December 30, 2025.
The disclosures additional reveal that Valcour subcontracted a part of the engagement to Bridgeway Advocacy, with funds totaling $165,000 made between late December 2025 and early January 2026. These funds have been described as month-to-month retainers for subcontractor companies associated to the engagement.
Nairametrics had earlier reported Nigeria’s Federal Authorities spending $750,000 month-to-month on a Republican-linked U.S. foyer agency to counter “Christian genocide” claims and curb separatist narratives amongst conservative and evangelical circles close to President Donald Trump.
On the time, ex Labour Occasion presidential candidate Peter Obi had criticised the federal government’s place, describing it as a logo of Nigeria’s misplaced priorities amid worsening improvement outcomes.
Maton Engineering Nigeria Restricted is described within the filings as a privately owned restricted legal responsibility firm, chaired and managed by its founder and CEO, Matthew Tonlagha. The corporate operates within the oil and fuel sector, offering electrical, civil, mechanical, dredging, and horizontal directional drilling (HDD) companies for complicated vitality tasks.
Beneath U.S. legislation, FARA requires brokers representing international principals to publicly disclose their actions, agreements, and {financial} transactions. All filings are made out there for public inspection and shared with U.S. Congress and different federal companies.