The controversy surrounding the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council has deepened following revelations that the Federal Government approved the recruitment of 300 personnel for the organisation months before the Presidency publicly disowned it.
Records indicate that the waiver was granted in August 2025 despite an existing embargo on general recruitment into the federal civil service, raising fresh questions about how the council secured official recognition within government structures.
The development has attracted attention because the Presidency later stated that the PFIPC was not an agency operating under the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
Documents showed that the approval was conveyed through a letter dated August 7, 2025, by the Director Of Organisation Design And Development In The Office Of The Head Of The Civil Service Of The Federation, Mimi Abu.
The correspondence, which was also copied to the Office Of The Secretary To The Government Of The Federation, authorised the council to recruit workers across multiple cadres and departments.
According to the approval, the council was permitted to engage 10 directors on Grade Level 17 and 20 assistant directors on Grade Level 15.
The waiver also covered the recruitment of 44 administrative officers distributed across Grade Levels 08, 09, 12 and 14.
Additional positions approved included 45 planning officers, six statisticians, 32 commercial officers, 22 investment promotion officers, 26 accountants, 10 legal officers and 13 procurement officers.
The recruitment list further featured 11 programme analysts, 12 information officers, nine executive officers for accounts, nine executive officers in the general duties category and five data processing officers.
Other approved positions comprised three confidential secretaries, six technical officers covering electrical, mechanical and civil engineering functions, seven data processing assistants and 10 motor drivers or mechanics.
In the letter, Abu stated that the approval was tied strictly to the agency’s approved establishment structure for 2025 and warned that the authorised figures must not be exceeded.
The letter also directed the council to obtain clearance from the Budget Office Of The Federation before commencing recruitment.
The agency was equally instructed to comply with the Federal Character principle and reserve five per cent of available positions for persons living with disabilities.
The Office Of The Head Of The Civil Service Of The Federation further stated that its officials would monitor the recruitment process to ensure compliance with the waiver conditions.
The document requested that details of successful candidates be submitted to the office for record purposes after the exercise.
A day after the waiver was issued, Adeniyi Adeyemi, who identified himself as Director-General of the PFIPC, publicly acknowledged the approval and expressed appreciation to President Tinubu.
In a message posted on social media, Adeyemi wrote, “Mr. President, we are growing because you believe in us.”
He also announced what he described as approval for PFIPC offices in all 36 states of the federation alongside plans to establish 127 offices across different countries.
“The visionary support strengthens our resolve to champion Nigerian enterprise and attract foreign direct investments across every border,” he stated.
The council remained largely out of public controversy until June 11, 2026, when the Chief Of Staff To The President, Femi Gbajabiamila, issued a statement declaring that no such organisation existed under the Tinubu administration.
The disclaimer triggered widespread debate because the council had operated publicly, hosted events and interacted with diplomats and government officials.
Adeyemi rejected the Presidency’s position and called for an independent investigation into the matter.
The dispute widened after reports emerged that the council received a ₦1.3bn allocation in the 2026 budget, including provisions for personnel, overhead and capital expenditure.
The council was also reported to be operating from office space within the Federal Secretariat in Abuja.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Police Force has filed an eight-count criminal charge against Adeyemi, according to presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga.
Adeyemi, however, alleged that the disagreement stemmed from his refusal to surrender 48 per cent of the agency’s take-off grant.
He further claimed that he paid ₦400m to secure his appointment and still had an outstanding balance of ₦200m.
As investigations and legal proceedings continue, the recruitment approval has become one of the most scrutinised aspects of the controversy, with questions persisting over how a council later described as non-existent obtained official waivers, budgetary allocations and operational recognition within government institutions.
