ICPC Uncovers Fraudulent 'Made-in-Nigeria' Body Operating Without FG Approval

An entity known as the National Brands Development and Made-in-Nigeria Special Project Office had been operating, portraying itself as a genuine Federal Government endeavour. This office claimed an extensive brief, which included fostering Nigerian products, aiding businesses, and facilitating the nation's shift towards an economy driven by production. Investigations by a PUNCH correspondent on Saturday revealed that the organization's website branded itself as a “strategic initiative” under the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF). Its stated mission was to boost the creation, use, and international recognition of indigenous goods and services. The group highlighted its objectives as bolstering small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), spurring industrial advancement, and establishing Nigeria as a centre for local innovation and sustainable progress. Furthermore, it asserted its aim to “enhance self-reliance, reduce import dependence, and create jobs” through various initiatives like national programmes, trade exhibitions, economic forums, and brand-enhancement strategies.

The organization's website, as observed by PUNCH Online on Saturday, outlined a vast array of duties it purportedly undertook. These included raising public consciousness and patronage for Made-in-Nigeria items, stimulating domestic manufacturing, attracting foreign direct investment via trade events and economic gatherings, backing governmental policies on industrialization and employment generation, and equipping SMEs with necessary tools, training, and assets to thrive in international markets. A key objective was also to steer Nigeria's transformation “from a consumption-driven to a production-led economy.” Its principal mandates also encompassed schemes to “revive moribund factories” utilizing investment structures like Build-Own-Operate-Transfer (BOOT) and foreign direct investment. Additionally, the office claimed it would institute a “National Labelling and Anti-Counterfeiting System” to guarantee product genuineness and quality. Further alleged responsibilities involved backing national industrial clusters, innovation hubs, and research and development facilities, alongside presenting Nigerian goods at various expos, fairs, and economic forums through a planned National Products Gallery. The body declared its intention to launch and champion Nigerian brands domestically and internationally, with primary attention given to local consumption, SME empowerment, quality standardization, market accessibility, and strategic partnerships with governmental bodies, private sector entities, and global organizations.

Regarding its origins, the website asserted that the Made-in-Nigeria initiative originated in 2006 during the Nigeria-Singapore Economic Forum. It further stated that the initiative was formalized under Ambassador Chike Alex Anigbo (MNI) and received Federal Executive Council approval in 2017. The project, according to the website, initially functioned as a public-private partnership alongside Trade Nigeria, subsequently undergoing “test cases” with nations such as Ireland, South Korea, Singapore, and Poland. The organization then claimed that the Made-in-Nigeria Project Office was ultimately formed under the OSGF, thereby “cementing its role as a statutory national program.” These assertions concerning its history and institutional backing were all found on the organization's website and are reported as claims made by the entity itself.

In a previous report, PUNCH Online had already published the identities and photographs of the national coordinator, three zonal directors, twenty state coordinators, and foreign representatives stationed in the United States and China, associated with this organization.

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has now challenged the organization's assertions of governmental ties through a recent investigation. PUNCH had previously reported that ICPC Chairman Musa Aliyu, SAN, confirmed on Friday that his commission discovered the National Brands Development and Made-in-Nigeria Special Project Office operating from within the OSGF building. Aliyu further stated that the office was granted space within the OSGF unlawfully, violating existing regulations and lacking presidential approval. He named George Buchi Nwabueze as the individual promoting this scheme, noting that Nwabueze used multiple aliases, including George Nathan, George Nathan Nwabueze, Honourable George Buchi Nwabueze, Prince George Buchi Nwabueze, and George Nwabueze. The ICPC also indicated suspicions of complicity from individuals within the OSGF.

Subsequent to this revelation, President Bola Tinubu issued a directive for the immediate apprehension of Nwabueze and the suspension of three permanent secretaries: M.S. Danjuma, Nadungu Gagare, and Richard P. Pheelangwah. PUNCH Online noted that additional information regarding this recently exposed 'fake' agency is yet to be fully disclosed to the public. This discovery is part of a broader investigation, coming after the earlier unmasking of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, whose self-proclaimed director-general was Adeniyi Adeyemi.