By Ayodele Oni
The National Coordinator and Executive Director of the National Brands Development and Made in Nigeria Special Project Office, George Nwabueze, has revealed that the office has been in existence for 16 years.
Refuting allegations that the office is fake, Nwabueze declared “Made in Nigeria Special Project Office is a project office in the OSGF.”
Nwabueze, who spoke with Sunday PUNCH noted that he oversaw an office which was under the supervision of the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
The Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission, (ICPC) had on Friday said the President had ordered Nwabueze’s arrest for leading and promoting the outfit, which it tagged as a fake federal agency.
The ICPC claimed that the accused was running it with the collaboration of senior public servants in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
But in his response, he stated that “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 spoke while responding to enquiries on LinkedIn, where he had earlier posted his appointment letter to rebuff ICPC’s claim of illegality.
The letter, dated October 3, 2025, was purportedly issued by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
It was referenced OSGF/MIN/59310/11/205 and signed by the Permanent Secretary, Political and Economic Affairs Office, Nadungu Gagare.
The letter, addressed to “Hon. George Buchi Nwabueze, National Coordinator, Made in Nigeria Project Office, OSGF, Three Arms Zone, Abuja,” conveyed the approval of his appointment as National Coordinator/Executive Director of the Made in Nigeria Project Office under the OSGF.
According to the document, the appointment was for a five-year tenure beginning from July 2025 and was renewable.
“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.
It added that the appointment followed “a careful evaluation of your commitment, contribution, and capacity in delivering on the mandate of the Special Project Office.”
The document listed Nwabueze’s responsibilities to include the supervision and development of programmes, projects and policies; supervision of regional and state coordinators across the 36 states; and organisation of exhibitions, trade expos, economic summits and other promotional initiatives aimed at promoting indigenous products and services.
It further stated that the project 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.
Also, another document shared on Saturday on Linkedin by Nwabueze showed that his office sought to be granted the status of a Special Project.
The document, dated April 17, 2025, was signed by the Permanent Secretary, Political and Economic Affairs Office, Gagare, and addressed to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation. It was referenced PS-PEAO/2025/008/4.
The document, titled, ‘A proposal for the Made-in-Nigeria Project to be granted Special Project status’, stated that the initiative had been operating for about five years and had promoted Nigerian-made products and services locally and internationally.
It claimed that the project had organised economic forums and trade exhibitions in several parts of the world and contributed positively to the Nigerian economy, particularly in the area of foreign direct investment.
The document listed increased employment opportunities, economic growth and poverty reduction among the expected benefits of granting the project special status.
According to the proposal, the initiative would also contribute to Gross Domestic Product growth by supporting local industries and encouraging domestic production.
It further stated that the project would reduce importation by encouraging Nigerians to consume locally made products, thereby reducing dependence on imported goods, conserving foreign exchange and improving the country’s trade balance.
The document added that the initiative aligned with the Federal Government’s efforts to diversify the economy, reduce dependence on crude oil and promote the non-oil sector.
The Permanent Secretary subsequently invited the SGF to note that granting the project special status would enhance its credibility and performance and enable it to meet its mandate and responsibilities.
However, the proposal made clear that the activities of the project were to be reviewed and operational modalities developed.
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