Adeyemi, the man in Nigeria’s ₦1.3bn ‘ghost agency’ scandal

Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew has become a controversial figure in Nigeria, accused of impersonating the Director-General of a government agency that the Presidency insists does not exist. Adeyemi, who identifies as a public administrator and investment promoter, is currently facing an eight-count charge in Abuja for alleged forgery, impersonation, and running a fictitious government body.

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he is the legitimate head of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, an agency the Presidency has repeatedly described as non-existent.

Despite the criminal charges, Adeyemi maintains his legitimacy as the head of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, also referred to as the Presidential Economic Advisory Council. He claimed this council was established to attract foreign investment and possessed offices, staff, bank accounts, and official government approvals. He also alleged in a television interview that he paid ₦400 million for his appointment, a claim the Presidency has vehemently denied.

The Presidency, through the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, has consistently stated that the agency lacks legal backing and was never established by the Federal Government. Investigators allege Adeyemi forged official documents, including appointment letters with signatures of senior government officials, to support his claims. He reportedly operated from an office within the Federal Secretariat Complex in Abuja, hosting meetings with various officials and foreign investors.

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the agency has no legal backing and was never created by the Federal Government.

Adding to the controversy, budget documents reveal that an entity listed as the Presidential Economic Advisory Council/Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, or similar variations, received approximately ₦1.3 billion in the 2026 Appropriation Act. This allocation included about ₦802.98 million for personnel costs and ₦200 million for overheads, deepening the questions surrounding the agency's purported existence and funding.

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he paid ₦400 million to secure his appointment