By Oluwakemi Kindness
The House of Representatives has summoned the National Security Adviser (NSA) to explain the action it took after confirming in 2025 that the alleged Director-General of the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC), Adeniyi Adeyemi, was unknown to the Federal Government.
The summons came during Tuesday’s sitting of the House Ad-hoc Committee investigating the controversial PFIPC, following testimony by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that it never recognised or worked with the organisation.
Representing the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Ambassador Dunoma Umar-Ahmed, told lawmakers that the ministry rejected three separate requests from Adeyemi to support a proposed World Investment Summit in Nigeria after due diligence uncovered inconsistencies in the documents submitted and raised doubts about the council’s legitimacy.
Ahmed disclosed that the ministry sought clarification from the ONSA on October 16, 2025, regarding Adeyemi’s claim to the office of Director-General.
In its response dated November 26, 2025, the ONSA stated that checks with 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 any office of the Federal Government.
He further informed the committee that the ministry never facilitated diplomatic engagements, foreign investor meetings, international partnerships or official missions on behalf of the PFIPC.
He added that no Memorandum of Understanding, treaty or investment agreement was executed through the council, and no Nigerian mission abroad received instructions to engage with it.
Reacting to the testimony, Chairman of the Ad-hoc Committee, Yusuf Gagdi, questioned why no visible action followed after the ONSA established that the council’s alleged leadership lacked government recognition.
The committee consequently invited National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, to appear before it on Thursday at 12 noon to explain the steps taken after the findings.
Lawmakers also directed the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, to personally appear before the panel as investigations into the activities and authenticity of the PFIPC continue.
