The controversy surrounding the National Brands Development and Made-in-Nigeria Special Project Office has deepened, with its embattled National Coordinator and Executive Director, Nwabueze Buchi George, mounting a fresh defence of the organisation while the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF) remains publicly silent.
The organisation is under scrutiny following an investigation by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), which has raised concerns about its legal status and alleged that it operated from premises within the OSGF without the required presidential authorisation.
President Bola Tinubu has since ordered an investigation, while three senior government officials have reportedly been suspended and an arrest warrant issued for Nwabueze.
Nwabueze has challenged the allegations, maintaining that the initiative has longstanding links to government and disputing claims that it was recently established as an unauthorised federal outfit.
As part of his defence, he has presented documents which he says establish a connection between the project and the OSGF dating back to 2010.
However, scrutiny of the documents has generated further concerns. One letter dated July 19, 2010, reportedly related to a proposed Made In Naija project connected to an event in Ireland and was addressed to a representative of The Hats Centre in Owerri. The document, on its face, does not establish the existence of the present-day Made-in-Nigeria Project Office.
Another document cited in Nwabueze’s defence is an October 2025 appointment letter purportedly issued through the OSGF, conveying his appointment as National Coordinator/Executive Director of the Made in Nigeria Project Office for a five-year tenure beginning in July 2025.
If authenticated and properly interpreted, the document could provide important context on the organisation’s relationship with government and the circumstances surrounding its operations within government premises.
However, an appointment letter alone would not necessarily establish that the office had secured all the statutory or presidential approvals required to function as a Federal Government agency.
The controversy has also extended to the states.
In Anambra, Secretary to the State Government Chiamaka Nnake has clarified her involvement after her photograph appeared among officials associated with the project.
She explained that she had been nominated as the state’s focal person following a request purportedly received from the Made-in-Nigeria Office, after which the state engaged with the organisers over plans for a Made-in-Nigeria fair.
The Anambra State Government has separately confirmed preparations for the National Products Expo 2026 scheduled for December.
The developments have highlighted concerns over the level of administrative oversight surrounding organisations operating within or alongside government structures.
The ability of the project to establish contacts with state governments, promote a nationwide structure and operate from premises within a federal government complex has brought renewed attention to internal controls and verification procedures across the public service.
The continued silence from the OSGF has further heightened uncertainty surrounding the project. Efforts to obtain a definitive public explanation of its legal status, funding arrangements, administrative structure and relationship with the controversial office have so far yielded no comprehensive clarification.
The case has consequently moved beyond a dispute involving an individual and a government-linked project. It has exposed broader concerns about bureaucratic oversight, institutional accountability and the processes through which organisations gain access to government facilities and engage with public institutions.
The authenticity, authority and legal implications of the documents presented by Nwabueze will ultimately have to be established through the ongoing investigation.
What began as a dispute over the identity and legitimacy of a government-linked project has now developed into a wider test of administrative accountability within Nigeria’s public sector.
With the OSGF yet to provide a definitive public explanation and the investigation gathering momentum, attention is increasingly focused on whether the probe will reveal an isolated administrative failure or expose deeper weaknesses within the machinery of government.
