A purported federal agency uncovered by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) allegedly deployed a carefully structured nationwide network of appointments to create the impression that it was a legitimate government institution, while claiming to have secured Federal Executive Council (FEC) approval dating back to 2017.
The National Brands Development and Made-in-Nigeria Special Project Office, which operated from premises within the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF), reportedly presented itself as a duly constituted federal agency with zonal directors and coordinators across the 36 states.
The development has raised fresh concerns over how a purportedly unauthorised organisation was able to operate for years within the federal bureaucracy and interact with state governments and other public institutions.
The ICPC Chairman, Dr Musa Aliyu, SAN, disclosed that the commission uncovered the office during investigations into the alleged fictitious Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) and other weaknesses in the public service.
According to Aliyu, the purported agency had been allocated office space within the OSGF without presidential authorisation and contrary to existing laws.
The commission identified George Nwabueze as the alleged promoter of the office, saying he operated under several names, including George Nathan, George Nathan Nwabueze, George Buchi Nwabueze and George Buchi Nwabueze.
The organisation’s website reportedly listed Nwabueze George as its “Executive Director, National Coordinator.”
‘Buhari approved it in 2017’
One of the key claims used by the purported agency to establish legitimacy was that its activities had received FEC approval under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
The organisation claimed that the FEC approved a “National Campaign to Sensitize Nigerians on the Patronage of Made-in-Nigeria Products” at its meeting of February 1, 2017, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
It also listed the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment as the implementing ministry.
However, the ICPC said its investigations established that the office was fictitious and had no presidential authorisation to operate as a federal agency.
The development is particularly striking because the purported agency did not merely operate as a small informal organisation. It allegedly created an elaborate administrative structure spanning the country’s six geopolitical zones and 36 states.
How ‘Federal Character’ became part of the disguise
The outfit reportedly went to considerable lengths to make its structure appear consistent with Nigeria’s Federal Character principle.
At the zonal level, it listed directors for the South-West, North and South-East, while its state-level appointments drew individuals from different geopolitical zones, ethnic backgrounds and regions.
The purported coordinators included representatives from states in the North-West, North-Central, North-East, South-South, South-East and South-West.
Each coordinator reportedly carried the title “State Coordinator, National Brand Development and Made in Nigeria Project Office” and used official-looking insignia bearing the words “The Presidency, Made in Nigeria.”
The structure, according to findings reported by Vanguard, appeared designed to give the organisation the appearance of a genuine nationwide federal institution.
States allegedly engaged with the office
The purported agency also succeeded in gaining access to state governments.
In Anambra State, for instance, the government said it had been contacted by the office in January 2026 and was asked to nominate a state focal person.
The state subsequently nominated its Secretary to the State Government, Chiamaka Nnake, who said focal persons from the 36 states were communicating through a WhatsApp group.
Nnake also disclosed that the office had requested that Anambra host a South-East Made-in-Nigeria Fair scheduled for December 2026.
She said the state had begun preparations before the ICPC’s discovery that the organisation was allegedly fake.
Website, social media added to appearance
The purported agency also maintained a website outlining a seven-point mandate covering economic promotion, revival of moribund factories, support for local brands, counterfeit surveillance and promotion of Made-in-Nigeria products through trade fairs and exhibitions.
It also cited what it described as a “National Brands Development and Made-in-Nigeria Promotion Commission Act, 2025”, giving the impression of legislative backing.
The organisation maintained social media accounts across Instagram, Facebook, X and LinkedIn, further projecting itself as an active federal institution.
The ICPC’s investigation followed its earlier discovery of the alleged PFIPC, whose purported Director-General, Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew, is facing prosecution over alleged forgery and impersonation.
Following the latest briefing, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ordered the immediate arrest of Nwabueze and the suspension of three Permanent Secretaries — M.S. Danjuma, Engr. Nadungu Gagare and Richard P. Pheelangwah — pending investigation.
The ICPC said it was working with officials of the OSGF to determine how the purported office secured accommodation within the federal secretariat and to establish the roles of public officials and other individuals connected to the network.
The commission said its investigation was ongoing.
