Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has told the House of Representatives that it never approved any request by the controversial Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC) to organise a World Investment Summit, distancing itself completely from the disputed body.   According to TheCable, the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Umar Ahmed, made the disclosure on Tuesday while appearing before the House ad hoc committee investigating the PFIPC controversy and the N1.3 billion allocated to the council in the 2026 Appropriation Act. Ahmed, who represented Foreign Affairs Minister Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, said the ministry received three requests from Adeniyi Adeyemi, who presented himself as PFIPC’s director-general, seeking collaboration and endorsement for the proposed summit. The requests were submitted on June 26, 2025, August 5, 2025, and June 5, 2026. He said the ministry declined to act on the requests after carrying out due diligence and identifying discrepancies in the documents submitted. Ahmed disclosed that the ministry also sought clarification from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) in October 2025 regarding Adeyemi and the PFIPC. He said the ONSA later informed the ministry that enquiries with the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President showed Adeyemi was unknown to any federal government office. The permanent secretary stressed that the ministry had no official dealings with the PFIPC, adding that it did not participate in any diplomatic engagements, facilitate foreign investors, sign agreements, or direct Nigerian missions to work with the council. The PFIPC controversy has drawn national attention following allegations that Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, appointed Adeyemi as the council’s director-general. Gbajabiamila has denied the claim, while the Presidency said the appointment letter bearing his signature was forged. Adeyemi was arrested by police operatives in Osun State on July 14, while the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) questioned Gbajabiamila on Monday as part of its investigation. On the same day, Head of the Civil Service of the Federation Esther Walson-Jack told lawmakers that the office space occupied by the PFIPC at the Federal Secretariat in Abuja was originally allocated to the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps has uncovered a suspected fake university operating from a three-bedroom apartment in Ilado, Olorunda Local Council Development Area of Lagos State, rescuing 106 youths allegedly recruited into the scheme.   According to Punch, the Badagry Area Command carried out the raid in the early hours of Monday after days of intelligence gathering and surveillance. The alleged proprietor was arrested and is assisting investigators. NSCDC said the institution had no official name, registration, signboard or recognised campus but allegedly presented itself online as a distance-learning centre affiliated with a foreign university. Badagry Area Commander, Chief Superintendent Gbenga Ekunola, said operatives acted on credible intelligence before moving in. Investigators said the rescued youths, mostly aged between 19 and 24, came from states including Kogi, Oyo and several northern states. Others reportedly travelled from Niger, Cameroon and Togo after being recruited online. Preliminary findings showed victims paid between ₦200,000 and ₦1.5 million in admission and processing fees, while some foreign nationals allegedly paid between $400 and $500 after being promised admission into a foreign tertiary institution. The NSCDC also alleged that participants were encouraged to recruit more students in exchange for commissions, with investigators describing the arrangement as resembling a Ponzi or multi-level marketing scheme. One victim reportedly told investigators he had paid $400, recruited his brother from Kogi State and had already begun receiving referral commissions. Investigators further alleged that some participants were involved in promoting unidentified products online while earning commissions from both product sales and new recruitments. Ekunola said many parents were unaware of their children’s activities in Badagry, with one parent revealing her child had claimed to be learning a trade rather than attending a university. He said all rescued students would be profiled before being reunited with their families, while anyone found culpable would face prosecution. The NSCDC added that investigations have been expanded to identify other collaborators and determine whether similar fraudulent admission schemes are operating elsewhere in Nigeria.

Nigeria and Germany are set to hold high-level bilateral consultations in Abuja on Wednesday as both countries seek to strengthen cooperation across key sectors, including trade, investment, renewable energy, climate action, security, education and technology.   According to Punch, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, will host Germany’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Johann David Wadephul, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for discussions aimed at deepening the longstanding partnership between both nations. In a statement issued on Tuesday by the ministry’s spokesperson, Kimiebi Ebienfa, the Federal Government said the visit reflects the enduring relationship between Nigeria and Germany, which is built on mutual respect, shared democratic values and a commitment to regional and global peace, security and sustainable development. Germany remains one of Nigeria’s leading strategic partners in Europe, with existing collaboration spanning trade and investment, renewable energy, climate action, healthcare, migration, agriculture, digital innovation, technical assistance, education and security. The consultations will also review the implementation of existing bilateral agreements while exploring new areas of cooperation. Discussions are expected to focus on expanding economic and commercial partnerships, attracting more German investment into Nigeria’s priority sectors, advancing renewable energy and green industrialisation, promoting vocational education and skills development, and strengthening collaboration in science, technology and innovation. The ministry reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to deepening bilateral relations with Germany, expressing confidence that the visit would open new opportunities for inclusive economic growth, regional stability and shared prosperity.