The House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee probing the alleged establishment and operations 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 allegedly continued operating despite questions surrounding its legal status. The lawmakers said the PFIPC Investigation seeks to determine how the organisation allegedly conducted activities after government agencies reportedly concluded it lacked legal recognition.

The committee specifically directed the National Security Adviser to explain why his office allegedly failed to stop Prince Adeniyi Matthew Adeyemi, identified as the promoter of PFIPC, after the Ministry of Foreign Affairs raised concerns over the council’s legitimacy. The committee also issued a final ultimatum to several Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) that failed to honour previous invitations, directing their chief executives to appear before lawmakers with all relevant documents.

Appearing before the committee, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Dunoma Umar Ahmed, submitted a memorandum stating that the ministry had no official relationship with PFIPC.

According to Ahmed, Prince Adeyemi, who introduced himself as the Director-General of the Presidential Economic Advisory Council/Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PEAC/PFIPC), wrote to the ministry on three occasions requesting collaboration and endorsement for a proposed World Investment Summit in Nigeria.

The requests, dated June 26, 2025, August 5, 2025, and June 5, 2026, were not approved. The ministry explained that it withheld approval after identifying discrepancies in the correspondence and conducting due diligence.

Ahmed informed lawmakers that the ministry wrote to the Office of the National Security Adviser on October 16, 2025, seeking clarification on Prince Adeyemi and the PFIPC.

According to the ministry, the NSA replied on November 26, 2025, indicating that enquiries made with both the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF) and the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President confirmed that Prince Adeyemi was unknown to any Federal Government office. Ahmed maintained that the ministry neither collaborated with PFIPC nor participated in any diplomatic engagements organised by the council.

“The ministry has never had any official interaction or engagement with the PFIPC or its alleged Director-General,” he stated.

During the PFIPC Investigation, committee member Abubakar Hassan Fulata questioned why stronger action was not taken after the ministry received confirmation that the organisation lacked legal recognition. Committee Chairman Yusuf Gagdi said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had acted appropriately by referring the matter to the NSA but insisted that the security office must now explain what action followed after confirming the organisation was illegal.

He argued that the continued activities allegedly carried out by PFIPC exposed weaknesses in coordination among government institutions. According to Gagdi, it was disturbing that an organisation reportedly declared illegal could allegedly engage foreign diplomats and conduct activities ordinarily reserved for recognised government institutions.

The committee expressed disappointment over the absence of several invited MDAs, describing their failure to appear as a disregard for the constitutional oversight powers of the House of Representatives. Gagdi stressed that invitations issued by parliamentary committees are backed by Sections 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution and are legally binding.

He directed all affected agencies to appear personally before the committee on Thursday, July 23, 2026, with their chief executives and all requested documents. The chairman warned that permanent secretaries and representatives would no longer be accepted.

“We want the accounting officers of the agencies to appear before us with all the relevant documents requested by the committee,” he said.

The committee cautioned that any ministry, department or agency that fails to honour the final invitation without lawful justification would face constitutional and statutory sanctions. Gagdi emphasised that the PFIPC Investigation is not intended to target individuals but to establish the facts, protect constitutional governance and ensure that no public institution operates outside the framework of Nigerian law.

During the hearing, lawmakers also rejected the representative sent by the Federal Ministry of Finance, insisting that only the ministry’s accounting officer would be permitted to appear before the committee. The investigation was subsequently adjourned to Thursday, July 23, 2026, when the committee expects all defaulting agencies and their chief executives to attend with the required documents.