The House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee investigating the alleged establishment of the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC) has summoned the National Security Adviser (NSA) and the Minister of Foreign Affairs to explain how the council reportedly operated despite concerns over its legal status.
Lawmakers said the NSA must clarify why his office did not take stronger action after confirming that the council was not recognised by the Federal Government. The committee also issued a final warning to several Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) linked to the matter, directing them to appear before it with relevant documents.
The summons followed a memorandum presented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dunoma Umar Ahmed, who stated that the ministry never had any official relationship with the PFIPC. According to him, the ministry became suspicious after receiving correspondence from Prince Adeniyi Matthew Adeyemi, who claimed to be the Director-General of the council, and subsequently sought clarification from the Office of the National Security Adviser.
Ahmed told lawmakers that Adeyemi had approached the ministry on three occasions between 2025 and 2026, requesting support and endorsement for a proposed World Investment Summit in Nigeria. However, the ministry declined to act on the requests after identifying inconsistencies in the documents and deciding to carry out due diligence.
He explained that the ministry later wrote to the NSA seeking confirmation of Adeyemi’s status. In response, the security office reportedly informed the ministry that checks with both the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President showed that Adeyemi was not recognised by any Federal Government office.
The Permanent Secretary maintained that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had no official dealings with the PFIPC and did not participate in any diplomatic activities or engagements organised by the council.
During the hearing, lawmakers questioned why additional steps were not taken after the council was confirmed to be illegal. Committee members also demanded to know how the organisation allegedly continued interacting with foreign diplomats despite lacking official recognition.
The committee chairman said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had acted appropriately by referring the matter to the NSA but insisted that the security office must explain what actions it took after confirming the council’s status.
He described the situation as a serious failure of coordination among government institutions, arguing that it was unacceptable for an unrecognised organisation to allegedly conduct diplomatic activities and obtain approvals while operating outside the law.
Responding to the concerns, the Permanent Secretary acknowledged that some organisations occasionally bypass official diplomatic procedures but noted that the ministry regularly issues circulars reminding agencies to follow established communication channels.
While commending the ministry for its cooperation, the committee stressed that its investigation remains ongoing and directed both the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the National Security Adviser to personally appear before the panel.
The committee also expressed disappointment over the absence of several invited MDAs, describing their failure to honour the invitation as a violation of the House of Representatives’ constitutional oversight powers.
Committee Chairman Yusuf Gagdi warned that the affected agencies have been given a final opportunity to appear before the panel with their chief executives and all requested documents. He stressed that representatives would not be accepted, insisting that only the accounting officers of the agencies should attend.
Gagdi cautioned that any ministry, department or agency that fails to comply without lawful justification could face constitutional sanctions. He added that the investigation is aimed at protecting the integrity of public administration, ensuring accountability, and confirming that no government institution operates outside the provisions of the Constitution.
The committee also rejected the representative sent by the Ministry of Finance, insisting that the ministry’s accounting officer must personally appear at the next hearing. The investigation was subsequently adjourned to July 23, 2026.
