‘Made-in-Nigeria’ Project Boss Challenges ICPC ‘Fake Agency’ Claim with Appointment Letter

The National Coordinator and Executive Director of the National Brands Development and Made in Nigeria Special Project Office, George Nwabueze, has rejected allegations by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission that he is operating a fictitious government agency.

Nwabueze, who spoke with Sunday PUNCH on Saturday, insisted that the Made-in-Nigeria Project Office was a project office domiciled in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and had been in existence for 16 years.

The controversy followed the ICPC’s announcement on Friday that President Bola Tinubu had ordered Nwabueze’s arrest over his alleged involvement in running what the commission described as a fake federal agency.

The anti-corruption agency also alleged that Nwabueze operated the outfit with the support of some senior officials within the OSGF.

Rejecting the allegation, Nwabueze said, “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.”

Nwabueze’s response came after he posted what he described as his appointment letter on LinkedIn. The document, dated October 3, 2025, purportedly emanated from the OSGF and was signed by the Permanent Secretary, Political and Economic Affairs Office, Nadungu Gagare.

The letter, referenced OSGF/MIN/59310/11/205, was addressed to “Hon. George Buchi Nwabueze, National Coordinator, Made in Nigeria Project Office, OSGF, Three Arms Zone, Abuja.”

It conveyed approval for Nwabueze’s appointment as National Coordinator/Executive Director of the Made in Nigeria Project Office under the OSGF for a five-year tenure beginning from July 2025, subject to renewal.

“I am directed to formally convey the approval of your appointment as National Coordinator/Executive Director of the Made in Nigeria Project Office under the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation,” the letter stated.

The document said the appointment followed “a careful evaluation of your commitment, contribution, and capacity in delivering on the mandate of the Special Project Office.”

Among the responsibilities assigned to Nwabueze were overseeing programmes, projects and policies; coordinating regional and state coordinators across the 36 states; and organising exhibitions, trade expos, economic summits and other initiatives designed to promote indigenous products and services.

The letter also indicated that the project office was to 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 said.

Nwabueze, however, declined to provide further comments when contacted again by Sunday PUNCH.

Bid for special-project status

Another document shared by Nwabueze on LinkedIn showed that steps had also been taken to formally secure Special Project status for the Made-in-Nigeria initiative.

The document, dated April 17, 2025, was signed by 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 said the initiative had been operating for about five years and had promoted Nigerian-made products and services both within the country and internationally.

It also claimed that the project 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.

The proposal identified job creation, economic growth and poverty reduction among the anticipated benefits of granting the initiative special status.

It further argued that the project could contribute to GDP growth by supporting local industries and stimulating domestic production, while reducing dependence on imported goods and conserving foreign exchange.

According to the document, the initiative was also consistent with Federal Government efforts to diversify the economy away from crude oil and strengthen the non-oil sector.

The Permanent Secretary subsequently invited the SGF to consider granting the project special status, arguing that such recognition would improve its credibility and enable it to deliver on its mandate.

The proposal, however, stated that the activities of the project would still have to be reviewed and its operational framework developed.

ICPC’s position

The ICPC Chairman, Dr Musa Aliyu, SAN, had earlier identified the National Brands Development and Made-in-Nigeria Special Project Office as one of the outfits uncovered during investigations into the alleged Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council.

Speaking with State House correspondents in Abuja, Aliyu said investigators discovered the project office while examining the alleged PFIPC and what he described as weaknesses within the public service.

According to him, the office had been allocated space within the OSGF complex without presidential authorisation.

Aliyu identified Prince George Buchi Nwabueze as the promoter of the outfit and alleged that he operated under different variations of his name while receiving backing from some senior officials in the OSGF.

The ICPC consequently listed the project office among the structures it said had emerged from its investigation into the disputed PFIPC.

Nwabueze’s documents, however, appear aimed at countering the commission’s assertion that the project had no official government backing.

One report published on the organisation’s LinkedIn page documented a stakeholders’ engagement in Nasarawa State involving Governor Abdullahi Sule.

Sule was quoted as saying that Nasarawa had adopted the Federal Government’s Made-in-Nigeria initiative and incorporated it into the state’s 2026 budget.

“For us in Nasarawa State, we have since domesticated this initiative of the Federal Government in our solemn commitment to promote local contents and have value for resources abound in our dear state,” Sule was quoted as saying.

“I’m happy to inform you that we did not only domesticate this project, but we also accord special attention to its operationalisation by including it in our 2026 budget,” he added.

The report also quoted the National Coordinator of the Made-in-Nigeria Project as saying that the initiative was domiciled in the OSGF and responsible for promoting Nigeria’s national brand.

Nwabueze was further quoted as saying that plans were underway to establish a National Brand Processing and Packaging Centre in Nasarawa State.

The organisation’s website identifies “Nwabueze George” as “Executive Director, National Coordinator” and lists a structure comprising national, zonal and state coordinators.

It also identifies Dr Bassey B. Unaowo as Special Assistant to the Permanent Secretary on Political and Economic Affairs in the OSGF and Dr Hajara Njidda Amoni as Director, National Administration.

The organisation maintains social media accounts on Instagram, Facebook, X and LinkedIn under the handle “@pmainpro.”

OSGF office reportedly shut

Amid the conflicting claims, a staff member of the OSGF told Sunday PUNCH that the office had not been operational for several months.

“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 precise status of the project office, its relationship with the OSGF and the extent of official authorisation behind its activities.

While the ICPC maintains that the office was unlawfully allocated space in the OSGF without presidential approval, the appointment document released by Nwabueze purports to show that the OSGF formally approved his appointment to head the project.

The OSGF spokesman, Christopher Ugwuegbulam, when contacted, requested that a formal letter be sent to his office before a response could be provided.

Efforts to reach the ICPC spokesman, John Odey, were unsuccessful as calls to his telephone number were not reachable as of the time of filing the report.

Meanwhile, Sunday PUNCH gathered from credible police sources that the police had yet to receive an official briefing on the matter.

The sources said a manhunt for Nwabueze would only commence after the police had been formally briefed on the allegations and the directive concerning his arrest.