The National Coordinator and Executive Director of the National Brands Development and Made-in-Nigeria Special Project Office, George Buchi Nwabueze, has rejected allegations that he operates a fake agency.
Nwabueze responded after the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) identified the office as an allegedly unauthorised outfit operating from the premises of the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF).
In his defence, Nwabueze shared an appointment letter on LinkedIn, saying the document proves that his position and the project office have official backing.
The document, dated October 3, 2025, and referenced OSGF/MIN/59310/11/205, was purportedly issued by the OSGF and signed by the Permanent Secretary, Political and Economic Affairs Office, Nadungu Gagare.
According to the letter, Nwabueze was appointed National Coordinator and Executive Director of the Made-in-Nigeria Project Office under the OSGF for a five-year tenure beginning from July 2025. He insisted that the initiative was a project office under the OSGF and had existed for years.
“Made in Nigeria Special Project Office is a project office in the OSGF. We don’t know where fake agency come from,” he said.
He also questioned how a programme he claimed had been in the SGF’s office since 2010 could only have been discovered in 2026.
Another document released by Nwabueze indicated that the project office had previously sought official recognition as a special project.
The proposal, dated April 17, 2025, also signed by Gagare, stated that the initiative had been promoting locally made products and services through economic forums and trade exhibitions. It argued that granting the office special project status would enhance its operations and effectiveness.
The proposal further outlined the initiative’s expected contributions to job creation, economic growth, increased local production and poverty reduction, while helping to reduce reliance on imported goods and conserve foreign exchange.
ICPC Maintains ‘Fake Agency’ Position Amid Fresh Documents
However, despite the documents presented by Nwabueze, ICPC Chairman Musa Aliyu, SAN, reiterated that the office was among the structures uncovered during the commission’s investigation into the alleged fictitious Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council.
Aliyu explained that investigators found out the office had been allocated space within the OSGF without presidential approval. Thus, identifying Nwabueze as the promoter and alleging that he had the backing of some senior public officials.
However, the documents and materials presented by Nwabueze appeared to challenge the assertion that the project lacked official backing.
A report published by the organisation, for example, documented an engagement with Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule, who reportedly said the state had included the initiative in its 2026 budget.
The organisation’s website also listed Nwabueze as its Executive Director/National Coordinator and showed a structure comprising national, zonal and state coordinators.
Meanwhile, an OSGF staff member said the office had been shut down for several months and was not functioning as a conventional government agency.
“It was not operating as an agency, but I know it was under investigation. The office was shut months ago,” the source said.
The conflicting accounts have raised questions about the project office’s legal and administrative status, as well as the extent of its relationship with the OSGF.
Efforts to get clarification from OSGF spokesman Christopher Ugwuegbulam were unsuccessful, as he requested a formal letter before responding. ICPC spokesman John Odey was also unavailable for comment as of the time of this report.
Notably, Nwabueze’s uploaded letters have consequently added a new dimension to the controversy, although the authenticity of the document has not been independently confirmed.
By Musekir Faisat Omolara
