The National Coordinator and Executive Director of the National Brands Development and Made-in-Nigeria Special Project Office, George Nwabueze, has denied allegations that he is operating a “fake agency,” insisting that the outfit is a project office under the supervision of the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
Nwabueze made the clarification following a statement by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission that President Bola Tinubu had ordered his arrest for allegedly leading and promoting an unauthorised federal agency.
The ICPC had on Friday identified the National Brands Development and Made-in-Nigeria Special Project Office as one of the outfits uncovered during its investigation into the alleged fictitious Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council.
The commission alleged that Nwabueze operated the outfit with the backing of some senior public servants in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
However, responding to enquiries, Nwabueze maintained that the office was a project office within the OSGF and had been in existence since July 16, 2010.
“Made in Nigeria Special Project Office is a project office in the OSGF. We don’t know where fake agency comes from. A programme that has been in the SGF’s office since 16 July 2010 was just discovered yesterday (Friday). After 16 years; Nigeria is a funny country,” he said.
Nwabueze also posted on LinkedIn a copy of his appointment letter, apparently to counter the ICPC’s claim that his office had no legal basis.
The letter appointed him to head the project and stated that the office would operate temporarily from Room B53, Ground Floor, within the OSGF complex.
“Please note that this appointment is at the pleasure of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, and in line with the objectives of the Made in Nigeria initiative under the Renewed Hope Agenda,” the letter stated.
Another document shared by Nwabueze on Saturday showed that the office had previously sought formal recognition as a Special Project.
The document, dated April 17, 2025, was signed by the Permanent Secretary, Political and Economic Affairs Office, Gagare, and addressed to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
Titled, “A Proposal for the Made-in-Nigeria Project to be Granted Special Project Status,” the document was referenced PS-PEAO/2025/008/4.
It stated that the initiative had been operating for about five years and had promoted Nigerian-made products and services both locally and internationally.
According to the proposal, the initiative had organised economic forums and trade exhibitions in different parts of the world and contributed to the Nigerian economy, particularly by promoting foreign direct investment.
It listed increased employment opportunities, economic growth and poverty reduction among the expected benefits of granting the project Special Project status.
The proposal also stated that the initiative could contribute to Gross Domestic Product growth by supporting local industries and encouraging domestic production.
It further argued that promoting locally made products would reduce import dependence, conserve foreign exchange and improve Nigeria’s trade balance.
The document said the initiative was also aligned with the Federal Government’s efforts to diversify the economy, reduce dependence on crude oil and strengthen the non-oil sector.
The Permanent Secretary subsequently urged the SGF to consider granting the project Special Project status, arguing that the move would enhance its credibility and effectiveness and enable it to meet its mandate.
However, the proposal acknowledged that the activities of the project would need to be reviewed and its operational modalities developed.
The ICPC Chairman, Dr Musa Aliyu, SAN, had said investigators discovered the National Brands Development and Made-in-Nigeria Special Project Office while probing the alleged Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council.
Aliyu, while briefing State House correspondents in Abuja, said the commission’s investigation had exposed what he described as procedural weaknesses within the public service.
He alleged that the office had been allocated space within the OSGF premises without presidential authorisation.
The ICPC identified Prince George Buchi Nwabueze as the promoter of the outfit and alleged that he operated under different variations of his name while enjoying the support of some senior officials within the OSGF.
The commission subsequently linked the outfit to structures uncovered during its investigation into the alleged PFIPC.
Nwabueze’s production of his appointment letter and the 2025 proposal for Special Project status has now introduced a new dimension to the controversy, with the executive director insisting that the office was an established project operating within the OSGF rather than an unauthorised federal agency. (Punch)
