The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, is expected to inaugurate an ad hoc committee on Monday to investigate the inclusion of the unestablished Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC) in the 2026 Appropriation Act.
The inauguration and public hearing will take place at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja, in accordance with Sections 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which empower the National Assembly to investigate matters relating to the administration of public institutions and the management of public funds.
The committee, chaired by Yusuf Gagdi, who represents Kanke/Kanam/Pankshin Federal Constituency of Plateau State, was constituted two weeks ago following a resolution of the House of Representatives. It has been mandated to investigate how approximately ₦1.32 billion was allocated to the PFIPC despite the agency not having been legally established.
The investigation follows the arrest of Adeyemi Adeniyi, who allegedly presented himself as the Director-General of the PFIPC and is accused of facilitating the inclusion of the agency in the 2026 budget.
The case attracted further attention after Adeniyi reportedly alleged that he paid ₦100 million through intermediaries to the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, to facilitate the establishment of the agency. The allegation has been denied by both the Presidency and the Office of the Chief of Staff.
According to the committee’s invitation, the hearing will bring together key government officials, ministries, departments and agencies, civil society organisations, professional bodies, development partners, the media and members of the public.
Among those invited are the Ministers of Budget and Economic Planning, Finance, Industry, Trade and Investment, Justice, and Foreign Affairs, as well as the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), the Auditor-General for the Federation, the Chairman of the Fiscal Responsibility Commission, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission, the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), and the Inspector-General of Police.
The committee also invited interested stakeholders, professional bodies, civil society organisations and members of the public to submit memoranda relating to its terms of reference.
The panel is expected to determine how the PFIPC was included in the 2026 budget despite lacking legal backing. It will also examine the budget process to establish when and how the allocation was introduced, tracing the provision from the executive’s proposal through legislative consideration to its eventual approval.
However, the committee’s decision not to invite Gbajabiamila or Adeniyi has attracted criticism.
A member of the committee, who spoke on condition of anonymity, expressed concern over the omission, arguing that the two central figures in the controversy should have been among the first witnesses invited.
The lawmaker alleged that excluding them could create the impression of bias and undermine confidence in the investigation.
Public affairs analyst Jackson Ojo also questioned the decision, saying the absence of the President’s Chief of Staff from the witness list could weaken public confidence in the probe.
He argued that Gbajabiamila should be given the opportunity to respond to the allegations publicly, particularly as his name had been mentioned by the suspect at the centre of the investigation.
The House of Representatives established the committee following growing public concern over alleged irregularities in the 2026 budget, including the allocation of more than ₦1 billion to an agency the Federal Government has maintained was never legally established.
