Anambra Govt Speaks on Involvement in Alleged Fake Agency

The Anambra State Government has explained how it became involved with a purported federal agency that was recently uncovered by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, as a fake organisation.

The Secretary to the Anambra State Government, Chiamaka Nnake, said the state government was misled into working with the National Brands Development and Made-in-Nigeria Special Project Office after the organisation presented itself as an office under the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.

Nnake made the clarification in a statement issued on Saturday titled, “Clarification on the ‘Made-in-Nigeria Agency’ and my role as State Focal Person.”

She said the clarification became necessary after her photograph was circulated on the organisation’s website and she was identified as one of its state coordinators following the ICPC’s discovery that the purported agency was not authorised by the Federal Government.

Nnake explained that the Anambra Government first received a letter from the organisation in January 2026.

According to her, the letter was addressed to Governor Chukwuma Soludo and requested the nomination of a state focal person for what was presented as the Made-in-Nigeria Office operating under the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.

“In January 2026, the Governor received a letter from the Made-in-Nigeria Office, said to be under the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, requesting the nomination of a State Focal Person,” she said.

She added that the governor subsequently nominated her for the position in February 2026.

“In response, the Governor, in February 2026, nominated me as the State Focal Person for Anambra State,” Nnake said.

She explained that the appointment appeared legitimate because focal persons from the 36 states were included in a WhatsApp group where they discussed activities connected to the purported federal office.

“Following the nominations, Focal Persons from the 36 states have been in a WhatsApp group engaging on issues relating to the activities of the office,” she said.

The organisation later approached the Anambra State Government to host the South-East edition of a proposed Made-in-Nigeria Fair.

Nnake said the state approved the request and began preparations for the event, which was scheduled to hold from December 2 to 5, 2026.

“More recently, the same office wrote to the State requesting that Anambra host the South-East Made-in-Nigeria Fair,” she said.

“The request was approved, and an inaugural meeting was held about two weeks ago, with the National Coordinator in attendance.”

According to the SSG, a state committee had already commenced preparations for the event before the ICPC exposed the organisation as a purported fake agency.

“Since then, the State Committee has been working on preparations for the Fair, which is scheduled to take place from December 2 to 5, 2026,” she said.

The ICPC had disclosed that the National Brands Development and Made-in-Nigeria Special Project Office allegedly operated from office space within the premises of the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation without the required presidential authorisation.

The commission identified Prince George Buchi Nwabueze as the promoter of the organisation and said investigators had uncovered suspected collaborators within the OSGF.

The development formed part of an investigation into fictitious government bodies and how organisations without proper legal backing were able to gain access to government structures.

Following the ICPC’s revelation, Nnake stressed that her involvement with the organisation was limited to the official communications received by the Anambra State Government and the activities connected to her appointment as state focal person.

“Beyond these official interactions and engagements, I have no knowledge of, involvement in, or connection with any other activities, claims, or developments attributed to the said office,” she said.

She further stated, “I therefore wish to make it clear that anything beyond the above-mentioned official interactions is entirely outside my knowledge and involvement.”

The Anambra Government’s explanation came shortly after the ICPC announced that the purported agency was among several fictitious bodies uncovered during its ongoing investigation into irregularities within the Federal Government.

The anti-corruption commission had earlier investigated the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, PFIPC, which it said was also not legally established by the Federal Government.

The ICPC chairman, Musa Adamu Aliyu, said the commission discovered that the promoter of the PFIPC, Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew, was never appointed by the Federal Government and that documents used to support the organisation’s claim of legitimacy were forged.

“Our investigation confirmed that the appointment letter presented by Adeyemi was forged, while the PFIPC was never legally established by the Federal Government,” Aliyu said.

The investigation also uncovered other purported bodies, including the FCT Investment Promotion Agency and the Foreign Investment Promotion Agency.

The findings prompted President Bola Tinubu to direct further investigations into how fictitious organisations could operate within the government system.

On August 19, the Federal Executive Council approved a broader forensic investigation into government processes and internal controls that may have allowed such organisations to gain access to government structures.

The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, announced the decision after the FEC meeting.

Two days later, the ICPC announced the discovery of the National Brands Development and Made-in-Nigeria Special Project Office.

Aliyu said the organisation had been allocated office space within the OSGF despite allegedly lacking presidential approval.

“Upon further briefing by ICPC to Mr President on the ongoing investigations into the fake Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council and procedural weaknesses in the public service, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission has uncovered another fake agency and office operating under the name National Brands Development and Made-in-Nigeria Special Project Office, which has been illegally allocated office space within the premises of the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation,” Aliyu said.

Following the disclosure, President Tinubu ordered the immediate arrest of Nwabueze and directed the suspension of three permanent secretaries identified as M.S. Danjuma, Nadungu Gagare and Richard P. Pheelangwah.

The ICPC said its investigation into the alleged fake agency was still ongoing.