TD The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has uncovered another alleged fictitious government agency operating under the name National Brands Development and Made-in-Nigeria Special Project Office.
The discovery emerged from the commission’s wider investigation into the controversial Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) and alleged weaknesses within Nigeria’s public-service and budgetary processes.
Agency Allegedly Operated from OSGF Premises
ICPC Chairman, Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN, disclosed the latest finding on Friday while briefing State House correspondents after updating President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on the investigation.
According to Aliyu, the National Brands Development and Made-in-Nigeria Special Project Office had been illegally allocated office space within the premises of the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF).
He said the allocation was contrary to existing rules and was made without presidential authorisation.
The commission said the office was promoted by Prince George Buchi Nwabueze, whom it alleged operated under several variations of his name, including George Nathan, George Nathan Nwabueze, Honourable George Buchi Nwabueze, Prince George Buchi Nwabueze and George Nwabueze.
Tinubu Orders Arrest, Suspends Three Permanent Secretaries
Following the ICPC briefing, President Tinubu directed the immediate arrest of Nwabueze.
The President also ordered the immediate suspension of three permanent secretaries identified as M.S. Danjuma, Engineer Nadungu Gagare and Richard P. Pheelangwah.
The ICPC said it had engaged officials of the OSGF to obtain information concerning how the organisation obtained access to government premises and how it operated within the federal administrative structure.
Aliyu said the commission’s investigation remains ongoing and that further findings could emerge.
Fourth Unlawful Agency Uncovered
The latest discovery adds another dimension to the PFIPC scandal, which began after authorities identified the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council as an organisation that had allegedly presented itself as a legitimate federal government agency despite lacking legal authority.
President Tinubu ordered the ICPC to investigate the PFIPC controversy in July and directed that the investigation be completed within 30 days.
An interim report submitted to the President in August had already identified two other bodies that the ICPC described as fictitious: the FCT Investment Promotion Agency and the Foreign Investment Promotion Agency and Public-Private Partnership.
The discovery of the National Brands Development and Made-in-Nigeria office therefore brings the number of alleged unlawful or fictitious entities uncovered during the broader investigation to at least four.
How Did It Gain Government Recognition?
The latest revelation is likely to intensify questions over the internal controls of Nigeria’s federal bureaucracy.
The immediate issue is not only how an allegedly unauthorised organisation came into existence, but how it was able to obtain physical office space inside one of the Federal Government’s most important administrative establishments.
The earlier PFIPC controversy generated similar questions after the organisation was allegedly able to secure government-related recognition, operate from official premises and feature in the federal budget despite the Presidency later maintaining that it had never been lawfully established.
The Financial Times reported that the PFIPC appeared in Nigeria’s 2026 budget with a ₦1.3 billion allocation and had also claimed access to a ₦27.3 billion take-off grant, further fuelling questions about budgetary oversight and institutional verification.
‘Made-in-Nigeria’ Office Maintains Public Presence
Interestingly, an online platform using the name National Centre for Brands Development and Made in Nigeria Project Office describes itself as an organisation promoting Nigerian products, brands, skills, technology and economic development.
However, the ICPC’s latest allegation specifically concerns the legal status and operation of the National Brands Development and Made-in-Nigeria Special Project Office that it says was unlawfully allocated space within the OSGF.
The precise relationship, if any, between the organisation identified by the ICPC and publicly accessible platforms using similar names remains a matter for investigators to establish.
Investigation Continues
The ICPC has not announced the conclusion of its investigation into Nwabueze or the officials allegedly connected to the office.
The commission’s latest findings nevertheless raise broader concerns about the processes through which organisations gain access to government premises, interact with public officials and potentially acquire the appearance of official recognition.
For President Tinubu, the development comes as his administration attempts to demonstrate that it is prepared to investigate and prosecute individuals involved in alleged corruption, impersonation and abuse of government processes.
The outcome of the ICPC investigation will determine whether criminal charges will follow and whether additional officials or entities will be implicated.
For now, the alleged National Brands Development and Made-in-Nigeria Special Project Office has become the latest entity caught in the expanding investigation triggered by the PFIPC scandal.
