If the National Brands Development and Made-in-Nigeria Special Project Office was a fictitious government office, as the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission has alleged, how did its activities find their way into the affairs of federal ministries and state governments?

That question has formed part of the credible concerns arising from Friday’s revelation that the organisation, which presented itself as a Federal Government initiative operating under the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, was allegedly operating without presidential authorisation.

The ICPC’s disclosure came with President Bola Tinubu’s order for the immediate arrest of the organisation’s promoter, George Nwabueze, and the suspension of three permanent secretaries — M.S. Danjuma, Nadungu Gagare and Richard P. Pheelangwah.

The commission said the office had been allocated space within the OSGF premises and had suspected collaborators within the office. Information on the website revealed that the address listed on the website as: National Information Management Office, First Basement, Ground Floor, Abia House, Central Business District, Abuja FCT.

Against that background, PUNCH Online on Saturday examined some of the activities, programmes, claims and government-facing engagements associated with the organisation, including records published by government institutions and information contained on its active website and social-media platforms.

PUNCH Online sent questions on Friday and Saturday to the organisation through its published contact channels in the interest of fairness and to accurately reflect the organisation’s position but had received no response as of press time.

The organisation’s website, madeinnigeriang.org, presents it as the “National Centre for Brands Development and Made in Nigeria Special Projects Office” and says it is “focused on national strategies for homegrown economic promotion, innovation, sustainable growth, entrepreneurship and national brand development.”

Its stated activities range from trade fairs and economic forums to SME development, product promotion and investment-related programmes.

The organisation also maintained social-media accounts under @pmainpro on Instagram, Facebook and X. Instagram — @pmainpro Facebook — @pmainpro X — @pmainpro

But beyond its own website and social-media footprint, records show that the organisation’s activities reached government institutions.

Federal info ministry, other states

For instance, the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation reported in June that a delegation from the National Brand Development and Made-in-Nigeria Project, led by Nwabueze, visited the Abia State Government House in Umuahia and met the state’s Deputy Governor, Ikechukwu Emetu.

The meeting was also attended by the Commissioner for Industry and SMEs, the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Special Adviser on SMEs, legal adviser and the project’s Abia State coordinator.

The ministry’s report said the “Abia Government reaffirmed its commitment to working with the project to promote Made-in-Nigeria products, strengthen local industries and expand opportunities for SMEs.”

The organisation also featured in an official account by the Anambra State Government, which reported a strategic meeting between Nwabueze and the state’s Secretary to the Government, Chiamaka Nnake, and the Commissioner for Commerce and Economic Development.

According to the Anambra government, the meeting concerned plans to host the National Products Expo 2026, with the state expected to hold an edition of the event in December.

Nwabueze told the state officials that the National Products Fair was domiciled as a special project under the OSGF and was designed to promote Nigerian products, encourage local consumption and provide businesses with access to markets and investment.

The organisation’s footprint also extends to other government-related economic activities.

Its online publications claimed involvement in programmes involving federal ministries, including an alleged collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry for a Nigeria House showcase at the 2026 World Economic Forum in Davos, as well as a proposed water-sector economic summit involving the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation and state commissioners for water resources.

These claims appear in material published by platforms associated with the organisation and should be distinguished from independently verified government activities.

In Abia, however, the relationship went beyond a meeting.

The state Ministry of Industry and SMEs said it was working with the National Brand Development and Made-in-Nigeria Project Office on Abia Expo 2026, describing the project as a partnership aligned with the state’s industrialisation and economic diversification agenda.

This is as it said the expo would promote locally manufactured products, particularly those from Aba, and attract investors, sponsors, development partners, buyers and policymakers.

The state ministry’s own publication also listed the project’s Abia State coordinator and other officials among those involved in the engagement.

These records raise questions about how an organisation that ICPC now describes as fictitious was able to develop relationships, hold meetings with government officials, feature in official government communications and become associated with planned economic programmes at state level.

The records, however, do not by themselves establish that the government officials or institutions involved knew the organisation was allegedly unauthorised.

They show instead that the organisation had established a significant government-facing footprint before the ICPC disclosure.

PUNCH Online examines some of the activities associated with the organisation, the claims it made about its government status and the institutional trail surrounding its engagements with public authorities.

Meanwhile, neither the Federal Government nor the ICPC has yet to provide further updates on the issue. (The PUNCH)

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