The House of Representatives ad hoc committee investigating the alleged establishment of the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC) has summoned the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the National Security Adviser (NSA) to explain how the controversial council allegedly operated despite questions over its legitimacy.
The decision followed a memorandum presented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Dunoma Ahmed, stating that the ministry had no official relationship with the council and had sought clarification from the Office of the National Security Adviser after discovering irregularities in its correspondence.
Appearing before the committee on Tuesday with a letter dated July 21, 2026, Ahmed disclosed that Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, who identified himself as the Director-General of the Presidential Economic Advisory Council/Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PEAC/PFIPC), approached the ministry on three occasions requesting collaboration and endorsement for a proposed World Investment Summit in Nigeria.
According to the ministry, the requests were submitted on June 26, 2025, August 5, 2025, and June 5, 2026, but none received official approval.
The ministry explained that it declined the requests after carrying out due diligence and identifying discrepancies in the documents submitted by Adeyemi.
"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 letter stated.
It added that the refusal was also prompted by concerns over the legitimacy of the PFIPC and the identity of its purported Director-General.
The ministry further revealed that it wrote to the Office of the National Security Adviser on October 16, 2025, requesting clarification on Adeyemi's status.
In its response dated November 26, 2025, the NSA informed the ministry that enquiries made with 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 Mathew was unknown to any office of the Federal Government.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also told the lawmakers that it never participated in any diplomatic engagement, bilateral or multilateral discussions organised by the PFIPC.
"The Ministry has never had any official interaction or engagement with the PFIPC or its alleged Director-General," the ministry stated.
During the hearing, committee member Abubakar Hassan Fulata questioned why the ministry did not take stronger action after receiving confirmation that the council lacked legal recognition.
He asked whether the ministry formally notified the alleged Director-General that the organisation was illegal and warned him against further engagement with government institutions.
Responding, the committee chairman defended the ministry's decision to refer the matter to the National Security Adviser but maintained that the NSA must now explain what action was taken after receiving the report.
The committee subsequently summoned both the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the National Security Adviser to provide further clarification on the circumstances surrounding the operation of the alleged council despite official concerns over its authenticity.
