Fake Agency Allegation: ICPC-probed Made-in-Nigeria Office Holds Products Exhibition

The National Brands Development and Made-in-Nigeria Special Project Office, which is under investigation by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) over allegations of operating without presidential approval, has reportedly organised a national products exhibition in Abia State.

The event, tagged National Products Fair 2026, was held at the International Conference Centre, Umuahia, between September 21 and 25, 2026.

Photographs published on the organisation’s website showed activities associated with the exhibition, which was designed to promote locally manufactured goods and provide market opportunities for Nigeria businesses.

According to Daily Trust, information obtained from the website on Monday indicated that the programme focused on showcasing Nigeria innovation, creativity, entrepreneurship and product quality.

The event’s promotional banner identified the promotion of indigenous products, support for local industries and expansion of market opportunities as its major objectives.

The development comes amid questions surrounding the legal status of the project office, which the ICPC has described as an allegedly unauthorized government outfit.

Recall that the ICPC said President Bola Tinubu had ordered the immediate arrest of the project’s promoter, George Buchi Nwabueze.

According to anti-corruption agency, the President also ordered the suspension of three permanent secretaries following the discovery of the purported office within the premises of the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF).

The commission alleged that the office had been allocated space within the OSGF complex without presidential authorisation.

The latest photographs indicate that the organisation continued to publicise and conduct activities under the Made-in-Nigeria banner despite the controversy surrounding its official status.

Meanwhile, the promoter of the project, Nwabueze rejected ICPC’s descriptions of the organisation as a phantom or unauthorised government agency, insisting that it operates as a public-private initiative rather than a statutory government institution.

‎In a statement, the management said the Made-in-Nigeria Project was anchored on Executive Orders 003 of 2017 and 005 of 2018, which it said supported efforts to promote locally manufactured products and stimulate domestic production.

The management further said Nwabueze had approached the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, to challenge what it described as attempts to remove the project from the OSGF framework.