The National Coordinator and Executive Director of the National Brands Development and Made in Nigeria Special Project Office, Nwabueze Buchi George, has defended the legitimacy of the project amid growing scrutiny by government authorities, insisting that it has operated for 16 years under the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF).
George said the initiative was not a federal government agency, but a “special project” that dates back to 2010.
“It has been existing since 2010. It’s a special project. Made-in-Nigeria is never an agency. How can you call Made-in-Nigeria Project an agency?” he told The PUNCH.
His defence follows the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission’s (ICPC) description of the office as fictitious or unrecognised. ICPC Chairman Musa Aliyu also said President Bola Tinubu had ordered George’s immediate arrest and directed the suspension of three permanent secretaries over the circumstances surrounding the purported office.
George, however, maintained that the controversy was the result of a misunderstanding of the project’s status and history.
In a LinkedIn post, he said: “History and facts: Made in Naija since 15th June 2010 to Made in Nigeria Project Office that is since 16 years in same OSGF Office. How can you discover a 16-year programme in 2026? It means you have been blind. We are committed to national development.”
As evidence of the project’s history, George shared a 2010 letter purportedly issued by the OSGF acknowledging a “Made in Naija” project proposal associated with Nigeria’s 50th anniversary celebrations.
He also referenced an October 3, 2025 appointment letter, identified as OSGF/MIN/59310/11/205, which he said conveyed his five-year appointment as National Coordinator/Executive Director beginning in July 2025.
George further rejected the description of the organisation as a “fake agency”, stressing that its status was that of a project office within the OSGF.
“Made in Nigeria Special Project Office is a project office in the OSGF. 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,” he said.
The controversy intensified after the ICPC raised questions about the recognition of the office and its activities within the OSGF complex. The commission said the purported office had been allocated space identified as Room B53 on the ground floor of the complex without presidential authorisation.
President Tinubu subsequently directed George’s arrest and the suspension of three permanent secretaries in connection with the matter, according to the ICPC.
The organisation’s website has presented the project as an initiative focused on promoting Nigerian brands, small and medium-sized enterprises, trade exhibitions and economic development. It listed George as Executive Director/National Coordinator and included zonal and state coordinators, as well as representatives in the United States and China.
The project also reportedly sent letters to some state governments seeking nominations for state coordinators and held an inauguration ceremony in Nasarawa State in May 2026. Governor Abdullahi Sule was among those who attended the event and was decorated as a grand patron.
However, checks on the 2026 Appropriation Act reportedly did not show the office as a federal agency or as a separate budgetary item.
The conflicting positions have raised questions over the project’s official status, its authority to operate within the OSGF and the circumstances surrounding its activities and appointments.
While government authorities continue to examine the matter, George has maintained that historical documents and his appointment letter support his claim that the Made-in-Nigeria initiative has longstanding links with the OSGF.
The ICPC investigation is ongoing, and the final determination of the project’s legal and administrative status remains subject to the outcome of the relevant government processes.
