The House of Representatives committee investigating the alleged establishment and operations of the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC) has summoned the National Security Adviser and the Minister of Foreign Affairs to explain how the council operated despite questions over its legal status.
The ad hoc committee also issued a final warning to some Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to appear before it on Thursday with relevant officials and documents connected to the investigation.
The summon followed a presentation by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dunoma Umar Ahmed, who told lawmakers that the ministry had no official relationship with the PFIPC or its alleged Director-General, Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi.
Ahmed said Adeyemi approached the ministry three times between 2025 and 2026 seeking collaboration and endorsement to organise a World Investment Summit in Nigeria, but the requests were not approved due to concerns raised during due diligence checks.
The ministry told the committee that it contacted the Office of the National Security Adviser on October 16, 2025, seeking clarification on the status of Adeyemi and the council.
According to Ahmed, the NSA’s office responded on November 26, 2025, saying inquiries from 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 unknown to the Federal Government.
The Permanent Secretary maintained that the ministry never engaged with the PFIPC in diplomatic activities or bilateral discussions, despite claims that the council operated in areas linked to foreign investment promotion.
Committee Chairman Yusuf Gagdi questioned why the NSA’s office did not take further action after confirming that the council was not a recognised government entity.
Gagdi said the NSA must explain what steps were taken after the agency was identified as illegal, adding that the committee was concerned that the council allegedly continued engaging foreign nationals despite lacking government recognition.
The lawmakers also raised concerns over how the alleged council obtained access to official documents and participated in diplomatic engagements without coordination with the Foreign Affairs Ministry.
The committee said its investigation would continue until it establishes how the PFIPC appeared in government records and whether any public institutions supported its activities.
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