Nwabueze Rejects ‘Fake Agency’ Allegation, Releases OSGF Appointment Letter

The National Coordinator of the National Brands Development and Made-in-Nigeria Special Project Office, Nwabueze Buchi George, has rejected allegations that he operated a fake government agency under the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

George, in a statement posted on his LinkedIn page on Saturday, August 23, released a letter purportedly issued by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF), which he said authorised his appointment as National Coordinator and Executive Director of the Made-in-Nigeria Project Office.

The development came hours after President Tinubu ordered his arrest following revelations by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) that the office allegedly operated from premises within the OSGF complex without presidential authorisation.

The document released by George, dated October 3, 2025, carries reference number OSGF/MIN/59310/11/205 and is titled “Appointment as National Coordinator and Executive Director Made in Nigeria Project Office.”

According to the document, the OSGF approved George’s appointment for an initial five-year term beginning in July 2025, renewable thereafter.

The letter, which purportedly bears the OSGF letterhead, was allegedly signed by Nadungu Gagare, identified in the document as Permanent Secretary in the Political and Economic Affairs Office.

It stated that George was responsible for supervising the programmes, projects and policies of the office, including its regional and state coordinators.

The document also authorised the office to organise exhibitions, trade expos, economic summits and other activities aimed at promoting Nigerian-made products and services.

Significantly, the letter stated that the project would operate temporarily from Room B53, Ground Floor, within the OSGF Complex.

It further stated that the appointment was made “at the pleasure of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation” and was aligned with the objectives of the Federal Government’s Made-in-Nigeria initiative under the Renewed Hope agenda.

George’s release of the document has introduced a new dimension to the controversy, particularly because the name of Gagare, who allegedly signed the appointment letter, was among the three permanent secretaries suspended by President Tinubu following the ICPC briefing.

The ICPC Chairman, Musa Aliyu, had on Friday, August 21, informed State House correspondents that the commission discovered the alleged fake office during its investigation into the purported Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC).

Aliyu said the Made-in-Nigeria Special Project Office had allegedly been allocated space within the OSGF without presidential approval.

He identified George as the promoter of the office and alleged that some officials within the OSGF may have facilitated its operation.

Following the briefing, President Tinubu ordered George’s immediate arrest and directed the suspension of three permanent secretaries: M.S. Danjuma, Nadungu Gagare and Richard P. Pheelangwah.

The development has raised questions over the authenticity and circumstances surrounding the appointment letter now being presented by George, particularly the alleged involvement of Gagare.

ICPC Investigation Expands

The controversy surrounding the Made-in-Nigeria office emerged from the ICPC’s investigation into the PFIPC, an organisation the commission has described as fictitious.

The investigation had earlier uncovered two other entities — the FCT Investment Promotion Agency (FIPA) and the Foreign Investment Promotion Agency and Public-Private Partnership (FIPA-PPP) — which the commission said were allegedly created as part of the broader scheme.

The ICPC had said its investigation established that Adeniyi Matthew Adeyemi, who presented himself as Director-General of the PFIPC, was never appointed by the Federal Government and that the council had no legal existence.

The commission also alleged that an appointment letter presented by Adeyemi was forged and did not originate from the Presidency.

According to the ICPC, forged legislative instruments were allegedly used to create the additional agencies and facilitate the opening of bank accounts.

The commission further alleged that the purported PFIPC unlawfully appropriated the offices and operational instruments of the defunct Presidential Economic Advisory Council to give the organisation an appearance of legitimacy.

However, the ICPC said it had not found evidence that Federal Government funds were approved or disbursed to the PFIPC or the former PEAC.

The commission identified officials from the OSGF, Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, Budget Office of the Federation and the National Information Technology Development Agency as among those whose actions or omissions may have facilitated the alleged operations.

Investigation Traced to PFIPC Controversy
The PFIPC controversy intensified after Adeyemi publicly presented himself as the council’s Director-General and linked the organisation to senior government officials, including the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila.

Gbajabiamila subsequently denied knowledge of the purported appointment and stated that the PFIPC did not exist under the Tinubu administration.
Further controversy followed reports that about N1.302 billion had been provided for the PFIPC in the 2026 Appropriation Act, despite the Presidency’s position that the organisation had no legal existence.

Adeyemi also made allegations against Gbajabiamila over his purported appointment, including claims that the Chief of Staff demanded millions of naira in bribes. The allegations have been disputed.

Against the backdrop of the controversy, President Tinubu on July 7 directed the ICPC to investigate the PFIPC and determine how an organisation allegedly lacking legal backing was able to operate within government structures.

That investigation subsequently led to the discovery of the two other alleged fictitious agencies and, most recently, the Made-in-Nigeria Special Project Office.

The authenticity of the appointment letter released by George, as well as the circumstances under which the Made-in-Nigeria office was established and allocated space within the OSGF complex, is now expected to form part of the ongoing investigation.