Foreign Affairs Ministry says ONSA disowned the controversial investment council in 2025 as lawmakers intensify probe into its operations and alleged Director-General.
The House of Representatives ad hoc committee investigating the controversial Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC) has been told that both the agency and its embattled Director-General, Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew, are not recognised legal entities of the Federal Government.
Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Dunoma Umar Ahmed, disclosed this on Tuesday while appearing before the investigative panel in Abuja.
Ahmed revealed that the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) informed the ministry in November 2025 that Prince Adeyemi was unknown to any office of the Federal Government following inquiries into his status and that of the council.
According to him, Prince Adeyemi approached the ministry on three separate occasions seeking collaboration and endorsement to host the World Investment Summit in Nigeria in 2025 and 2026. However, the requests were declined after discrepancies were discovered in the documents submitted.
“The responses received from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President revealed that Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew was unknown to any office of the Federal Government,” Ahmed told lawmakers.
He stated that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs neither facilitated diplomatic engagements for the council nor signed any agreement or memorandum of understanding on its behalf. He added that no Nigerian mission abroad had any official interaction with the agency.
Ahmed said the ministry refused to collaborate with the council based on the ONSA’s findings and has never had any official dealings with the PFIPC or its alleged Director-General.
Chairman of the committee, Yusuf Gagdi, expressed concern that despite being disowned by the Federal Government as far back as November 2025, questions remain over how the agency allegedly engaged with foreign embassies and institutions.
The committee subsequently summoned the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, to appear before it to explain what actions were taken after his office established that the council was not a recognised government institution.
Lawmakers also directed the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, to personally appear before the panel to clarify issues arising from the ministry’s submissions.
Gagdi described the development as an embarrassment to Nigeria’s diplomatic image and reaffirmed the committee’s commitment to conducting a fair, transparent and professional investigation.
The PFIPC probe commenced on Monday following the inauguration of the 12-member ad hoc committee by House Leader Julius Ihonvbere on behalf of Speaker Abbas Tajudeen.
Earlier, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs Didi Esther Walson-Jack, denied allocating office space to the agency, while the Central Bank of Nigeria disclosed that two domiciliary accounts were opened in the agency’s name but remained dormant because the account opening process was never completed.
The House committee is expected to continue its investigation into the circumstances surrounding the establishment, operations and alleged budgetary allocations linked to the disputed agency.