The embattled Director-General of the controversial Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), Adeniyi Matthew Adeyemi, has said the agency was established to attract foreign investment into Nigeria and support the economic agenda of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Adeyemi made the claim during an interview with social media influencer Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), amid growing scrutiny over the legitimacy of the agency and its operations.
According to him, his motivation was driven by a desire to contribute to Nigeria’s development by making the country a preferred destination for foreign investors.
“I wanted to bring in foreign investors to Nigeria so that I can write my name in gold. I am just desperate to serve. I just want to do my part for the country.
“That agency was established to bring in foreign investments to Nigeria and make Nigeria a preferred destination for foreign investors,” Adeyemi said.
He added that the council collaborated with ministries, departments and agencies, as well as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), to promote investment opportunities in Nigeria.
“I walk around the inter-ministerial agencies and partner with the MDAs and EFCC to make Nigeria a preferred world destination for investments. So, it’s not about personal interest. Before this whole brouhaha, we were expecting the world to be in Nigeria through our forthcoming global summit,” he said.
Adeyemi’s remarks come as the PFIPC remains at the centre of a major controversy over its legal status and funding.
The Presidency has maintained that the letter purportedly establishing the council was forged and has ordered an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the agency’s creation and operations.
The controversy intensified after reports indicated that the PFIPC had secured office space within the Federal Secretariat, opened accounts with the Central Bank of Nigeria and received a N1.3 billion allocation in the 2026 Appropriation Act, despite questions over its legal existence.
The scandal has also triggered a public dispute involving the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila. Adeyemi had made allegations linking Gbajabiamila to appointments within the agency, claims that the Chief of Staff has denied.
Through his solicitors, Gbajabiamila demanded that Adeyemi withdraw what he described as false and defamatory allegations, issue a public apology and remove the publications, warning that failure to do so would result in both civil and criminal legal action.
The Federal Government has since directed anti-corruption authorities to investigate the matter as public calls continue for greater accountability over the establishment, funding and activities of the controversial council.
