Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew, Director-General of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), says he established the agency to attract foreign investment into Nigeria and support the administration of President Bola Tinubu, not for personal gain.
Matthew, who is facing charges over the controversial agency, made the remarks during a video call with social commentator Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, on Wednesday.
He said his motivation was driven by patriotism and a desire to contribute to national development.
“I established that amount (rumoured N400 million) for the agency’s office out of passion for the country. I wanted to bring in foreign investors to Nigeria so that I can write my name in gold. I am just desperate to serve,” he said.
According to him, the council was created to position Nigeria as a preferred destination for foreign investment through collaboration with Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
“It was established to bring in foreign investments to Nigeria and make Nigeria a preferred destination for foreign investors.
“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,” he added.
Matthew said the council had planned to host a global investment summit before the controversy surrounding its existence emerged.
He also questioned the Presidency’s position that the agency did not exist, wondering how it was captured in the national budget.
“This whole thing is confusing, especially when the Presidency said that the agency does not exist.
“How come? The agency that found its way into the national budget. I didn’t prepare any budget. In fact, I was in detention for 23 days when the budget for the Presidential Foreign Council was prepared and defended in the National Assembly between October and November,” he said.
Matthew alleged that the Inspector-General of Police had invited him to explain how he obtained his appointment letter.
He said he provided investigators with the name and telephone number of the individual who facilitated the appointment before he was detained.
He further claimed that after his release from detention on Nov. 19, 2025, he discovered that the office allocated to the agency had been reassigned to another government official.
Responding to questions on a petition reportedly filed against him by the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, Matthew said he never met the presidential aide over the agency.
He, however, said he once spoke with Gbajabiamila on the telephone through his late associate, Dolapo Tanimola.
Matthew maintained that he possessed documents to support the establishment of the council and pledged to submit them to security agencies.
“Any moment from now, I will go to the police and the DSS to submit every document that I have to support the investigation.
“My friend (Tanimola), who paid the money for the establishment of the agency, is now dead in a fire accident in a hotel in Utako, Abuja,” he said.
The Presidency had earlier disowned the PFIPC and said security agencies were investigating the circumstances surrounding its creation and operations.
