Made-In-Nigeria Office Not Fake’ – Nwabueze Hits ICPC

The National Coordinator and Executive Director of the National Brands Development and Made in Nigeria Special Project Office, George Nwabueze, has dismissed allegations that he is operating a fictitious Federal Government agency, insisting that the office is a legitimate project under the supervision of the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF).

According to Ireporter Online, Nwabueze said the Made-in-Nigeria Special Project Office had existed within the OSGF for about 16 years and questioned the basis for the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) describing it as fake.

The controversy followed the ICPC’s allegation that President Bola Tinubu had ordered Nwabueze’s arrest over the purported operation of an unauthorised Federal Government agency. The commission also alleged that the outfit was operated with the assistance of some senior officials within the OSGF.

However, Nwabueze strongly rejected the allegations, maintaining that the office had been operating within the government structure for several years.

He said the project office was established in the OSGF in July 2010 and expressed surprise that its legitimacy was being questioned after more than a decade of operation.

Nwabueze reportedly made the clarification while responding to enquiries and also shared documents on LinkedIn which he said demonstrated his appointment and the official status of the office.

Among the documents was an appointment letter dated October 3, 2025, purportedly issued by the OSGF and signed by the Permanent Secretary, Political and Economic Affairs Office, Nadungu Gagare.

The letter reportedly approved Nwabueze’s appointment as National Coordinator and Executive Director of the Made-in-Nigeria Project Office under the OSGF for a five-year renewable tenure beginning from July 2025.

According to the document, Nwabueze was tasked with overseeing the implementation of programmes and projects, coordinating state and regional representatives, and organising trade fairs, exhibitions and economic summits aimed at promoting Nigerian products and services.

The document also indicated that the project office was temporarily assigned space within the OSGF complex in Abuja and would operate in line with the objectives of the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

Another document released by Nwabueze was a proposal dated April 17, 2025, seeking formal recognition of the Made-in-Nigeria initiative as a Special Project.

The proposal, also signed by Gagare, stated that the initiative had been operating for several years and had promoted locally made products and services through trade exhibitions and economic forums in Nigeria and abroad.

It further outlined potential benefits of the initiative, including job creation, economic growth, poverty reduction, increased foreign investment and support for local manufacturing.

The proposal argued that strengthening the programme could help reduce Nigeria’s dependence on imported goods, conserve foreign exchange and improve the country’s trade balance.

It also linked the initiative to the Federal Government’s economic diversification efforts and the broader push to strengthen the non-oil sector.

The latest development comes amid an ongoing ICPC investigation into alleged fictitious government bodies, with the commission maintaining that the organisation operated without the required presidential authorisation.

Nwabueze, however, continues to insist that the Made-in-Nigeria Special Project Office is legitimate and that official government documents support its establishment and his appointment.