The House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee investigating the controversial Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC) has summoned the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, to explain the actions taken by his office after it was alerted to the activities of the unestablished council.
The committee also directed the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, to personally appear before lawmakers to address issues arising from the ministry’s submissions on the matter.
The summons followed testimony by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Dunoma Umar Ahmed, who revealed that the ministry reported the activities of the PFIPC and its self-acclaimed Director-General, Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew, to the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) after discovering discrepancies in documents submitted by the organisation.
Ahmed told the committee that Prince Adeyemi approached the ministry on three occasions—June 26, 2025, August 5, 2025, and June 5, 2026—requesting collaboration and endorsement to host a World Investment Summit in Nigeria. However, the ministry rejected all three requests after conducting due diligence and identifying inconsistencies in the documents presented.
According to the Permanent Secretary, the ministry wrote to the ONSA on October 16, 2025, seeking clarification on Prince Adeyemi’s claim to be Director-General of the PFIPC. In a response dated November 26, 2025, the National Security Adviser informed the ministry that inquiries made with the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President confirmed that Prince Adeyemi was unknown to any office of the Federal Government.
Ahmed further stated that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs never participated in any diplomatic engagement involving the PFIPC, nor did it facilitate foreign investors or delegations on behalf of the council. He also confirmed there was no record of any Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the council and any foreign government through the ministry, adding that Nigerian missions abroad never recognised the organisation.
Reacting to the presentation, Chairman of the committee, Yusuf Gagdi, questioned why stronger action was not taken after the NSA reportedly confirmed that the PFIPC was not recognised by the Federal Government.
He said the committee wants the National Security Adviser to explain what measures were taken after identifying the council as an illegal entity.
The committee subsequently directed Ribadu to appear before it on Thursday, while insisting that the Minister of Foreign Affairs personally attend the hearing.
The PFIPC controversy began after the Presidency publicly disowned both the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC) and the Presidential Economic Advisory Council (PEAC), stating that neither body was established by the Federal Government.
The Presidency also accused Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew of allegedly using forged government documents to obtain recognition from public institutions.
The House committee is currently investigating how the PFIPC allegedly secured official recognition from several government agencies and was allocated funds in the 2026 Appropriation Act despite lacking legal backing.
