The House of Representatives ad hoc committee probing the alleged creation and operation of the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC) without legal approval has summoned the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the National Security Adviser (NSA) to explain how the council allegedly functioned despite questions surrounding its legitimacy.
The lawmakers issued the summons after the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Dunoma Umar Ahmed, informed the committee that the ministry had no official relationship with the PFIPC and had sought clarification from the Office of the National Security Adviser after discovering irregularities in correspondence received from the organisation.
Appearing before the committee on Tuesday, Ahmed submitted a letter dated July 21, 2026, explaining that Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, who identified himself as the Director-General of the Presidential Economic Advisory Council/Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PEAC/PFIPC), had approached the ministry on three separate occasions requesting collaboration and official endorsement for a proposed World Investment Summit in Nigeria.
According to the ministry, the requests were received on June 26, 2025, August 5, 2025, and June 5, 2026, but none of them was approved.
The ministry stated that its decision not to act on the requests was based on established procedures and the need to verify the authenticity of the organisation before offering any official support.
It explained that several inconsistencies were observed in the letters submitted by Adeyemi, prompting further scrutiny.
“Guided by extant rules and regulations as well as the necessity of carrying out due diligence before obliging any request, the Ministry… did not take any action on the requests,” the ministry stated.
It further explained that the refusal was also influenced by the concerns surrounding the legal status of the PFIPC and its purported Director-General.
“The Ministry’s refusal to oblige the requests was further necessitated by some of the discrepancies observed in the letters submitted by Prince Adeyemi and the ongoing investigation on the legitimacy of the PFIPC and the personality of its alleged director-general.”
To verify the matter, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs disclosed that it formally wrote to the Office of the National Security Adviser on October 16, 2025, requesting confirmation of Adeyemi’s status.
According to the ministry, the NSA responded on November 26, 2025, stating that enquiries conducted through both the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President confirmed that Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi had no official recognition within the Federal Government.
The ministry quoted the response as saying that “Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Mathew is unknown to any office of the Federal Government.”
Ahmed also informed lawmakers that the ministry never maintained any formal relationship with the PFIPC.
According to him, “the Ministry did not participate in any diplomatic engagement or bilateral and multilateral discussions held by the PFIPC,” adding that “the Ministry has never had any official interaction or engagement with the PFIPC or its alleged Director-General.”
During the hearing, members of the committee questioned why stronger measures were not taken after the ministry received confirmation that the council lacked legal recognition.
Committee member, Hon. Abubakar Hassan Fulata, asked why the ministry did not formally notify the organisation that it was operating illegally.
“After confirming from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the Office of the Chief of Staff to Mr President that this entity does not exist legally, did you communicate to the so-called Director-General… that this organisation is illegal and that you should not interact with it any further?” Fulata asked.
Responding to the issue, the committee chairman defended the ministry’s actions, saying it acted appropriately by referring the matter to the National Security Adviser.
He, however, insisted that the NSA must now explain what action was taken after establishing that the organisation had no legal standing.
“The Office of the National Security Adviser should appear before this committee and explain that aspect,” he said.
He continued, “Foreign Affairs received correspondences from this agency under investigation. They noticed discrepancies and requested the Office of the NSA to find out the status of the agency. The NSA responded that it is an illegal agency. What has the Office of the NSA done as a security office after discovering that the agency does not exist? I think they should take action, so they should tell us the action they have taken.”
Lawmakers also expressed concern over reports that the council had organised meetings involving foreign diplomats despite lacking official recognition.
One member of the committee recalled that the organisation had reportedly hosted a summit attended by representatives of more than 30 foreign embassies.
“I remember seeing they organised some sort of summit whereby they invited over 30 embassies, and they attended,” the lawmaker said.
The committee chairman described the situation as evidence of poor coordination among government institutions and raised concerns about the implications for Nigeria’s diplomatic system.
“Our responsibility is to make laws. Then a strange agency that is supposed to do our function is introduced to us. We notice discrepancies, report to the NSA, and the NSA responds that the agency is illegal, then all of a sudden we see the agency engaging foreign nationals in diplomatic functions that need to be coordinated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” he stated.
He further criticised the situation, saying, “Somebody will outsmart agencies, form a fake agency, get documents and approvals from agencies, and conduct diplomatic engagements with foreign nationals. I think this is a big insult on the Nigerian people.”
Responding on behalf of the ministry, Ahmed admitted that some organisations occasionally bypass the ministry in their dealings with foreign missions.
“Sometimes we find that some of these organisations do direct missions without the permission of the Ministry. We always send circulars to inform them that it is necessary to follow the laid-down channels of communication,” he said.
At the end of the session, the committee acknowledged the ministry’s cooperation and said the information provided would assist the investigation.
“You have done well by giving us the fundamentals of what you understand and the effort the ministry has made. We cannot say that you have not given us information that will help us,” the chairman said.
He, however, directed that the investigation continue, reminding the ministry that the Minister of Foreign Affairs was expected to appear before the committee on Thursday.
He also instructed the committee secretariat to formally invite the National Security Adviser to respond to issues arising from the ministry’s testimony.
