The House of Representatives has summoned the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the National Security Adviser (NSA) over the activities of the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC), an organisation currently under investigation for allegedly operating without legal backing.
Politics Nigeria reports that the lawmakers issued the summons on Tuesday during an ongoing probe into the circumstances surrounding the establishment and operations of the council.
The development followed submissions made before the House ad hoc committee investigating the matter.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, through its Permanent Secretary, Mr. Dunoma Umar Ahmed, told lawmakers that it had no official relationship with the PFIPC and never endorsed any of its activities.
Ahmed appeared before the committee with a letter dated July 21, 2026, detailing the ministry’s interactions with individuals linked to the council.
According to him, 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 several occasions seeking support for an investment summit planned for Nigeria.
The ministry disclosed that requests were received on June 26, 2025, August 5, 2025, and June 5, 2026. However, none of the requests was approved.
Explaining the ministry’s position, Ahmed said officials observed inconsistencies in the documents submitted and decided to carry out due diligence before taking any action.
According to the ministry, “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 further stated that its decision was influenced by concerns surrounding the legitimacy of the PFIPC and questions regarding the status of its alleged leadership.
It noted that “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.”
The committee was also informed that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs sought clarification from the Office of the National Security Adviser after noticing irregularities.
Ahmed disclosed that the ministry wrote to the NSA on October 16, 2025, requesting verification of Prince Adeyemi’s status and the council he represented.
According to the ministry, a response was received from the NSA on November 26, 2025. The reply reportedly stated that checks conducted with the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President showed that “Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Mathew is unknown to any office of the Federal Government”.
The ministry maintained that it had no involvement whatsoever in the activities of the council.
Officials told lawmakers that “the Ministry did not participate in any diplomatic engagement or bilateral and multilateral discussions held by the PFIPC” and 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 raised concerns over how the organisation allegedly continued to operate and engage with public institutions despite questions over its legal status.
Committee member, Hon. Abubakar Hassan Fulata, questioned whether the ministry took additional steps after receiving confirmation that the council lacked official recognition.
“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?” he asked.
The committee chairman, however, said attention should now focus on the actions taken by the National Security Adviser after the findings were communicated.
“The Office of the National Security Adviser should appear before this committee and explain that aspect,” he said.
He added that the NSA must account for what happened after the office reportedly established that the council was not recognised by government authorities.
Reps lawmakers also expressed concern over reports that the organisation was able to hold events involving members of the diplomatic community.
One member recalled that the group allegedly organised an investment-related summit attended by representatives of several foreign missions.
The committee chairman described the situation as troubling, noting that diplomatic engagements are ordinarily expected to be coordinated through established government institutions.
“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 said.
He further described the development as a serious concern for government oversight and national credibility.
“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,” the chairman stated.
Responding to the concerns, the Permanent Secretary acknowledged that some organisations sometimes attempt to engage foreign missions directly without following official diplomatic procedures.
“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.