Fresh controversy has emerged over the status of the National Brands Development and Made-in-Nigeria Special Project Office, with some officials in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF) alleging that the ICPC was misled into describing the initiative as an unauthorised government agency. The development was reported by The PUNCH on Saturday, August 29, 2026.
The PUNCH quoted unnamed OSGF officials as saying the initiative was created as a project office, not a statutory agency, and that an internal disagreement between its promoter, George Nwabueze, and some directors in the OSGF triggered the petition that eventually drew the attention of the anti-graft commission. One official said, “It is not a fake agency. It is a project office. The ICPC was misled into believing it is a fake agency by some directors.”
The ICPC had earlier announced that it uncovered what it described as another fake government agency operating within the OSGF. Its Chairman, Musa Aliyu (SAN), told State House correspondents after briefing President Bola Tinubu that the President had directed Nwabueze’s arrest and prosecution, as well as the suspension of three Permanent Secretaries identified as MS Danjuma, Nandungu Gagare and Richard Pheelangwa.
However, an ICPC source cited by The PUNCH said days after the presidential directive, Nwabueze had neither been arrested nor taken into the commission’s custody. The source reportedly said, “That’s all I can tell you,” when asked about the development.
Nwabueze has also rejected the description of the project as a fake or unauthorised government agency. In a statement issued through the Directorate of Legal Affairs and Strategic Communications, he alleged that serving and retired OSGF officials had frustrated the initiative through administrative sabotage and the suppression of official files.
According to the statement, the project is a public-private special initiative operating under the OSGF rather than a separate government agency. Nwabueze also disclosed that he petitioned the Secretary to the Government of the Federation on May 15, 2026, over alleged withholding of strategic project files and had subsequently instituted Suit No. CV/2634/26 before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
Nwabueze further argued that the initiative was anchored on Executive Orders 003 and 005 of 2017 and 2018, citing OSGF correspondence that approved a five-member technical committee to oversee its development objectives and implementation structures. The PUNCH said efforts to obtain the ICPC’s reaction to the fresh allegations were unsuccessful, while the SGF’s spokesman, Christopher Ugwuegbulam, requested a formal inquiry before commenting.
Meanwhile, the Presidency has urged Nigerians to await the conclusion of the ICPC investigation before reaching conclusions on responsibility. The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, told The PUNCH that the commission had submitted a preliminary report but was still investigating. “The ICPC has not finished their work. At the end of their investigation, they are supposed to make recommendations to the President and he is expecting them to,” Ajayi said, adding that President Tinubu had directed the commission to recommend measures for strengthening areas where systemic weaknesses were identified.
