Amid Fake Agency Allegations, Made-In-Nigeria Project Office Organises National Exhibition

The National Brands Development and Made-in-Nigeria Special Project Office has reportedly organised a national products exhibition in Umuahia, Abia State, despite an ongoing investigation by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) into allegations surrounding its official status.

The event, tagged the National Products Fair 2026, took place at the International Conference Centre in Umuahia from September 21 to 25, 2026. It was designed to showcase locally manufactured goods, promote Nigerian businesses and expand market opportunities for indigenous products.

Photographs published on the organisation’s website showed activities associated with the exhibition, which highlighted Nigerian innovation, creativity, entrepreneurship and product quality.

According to Bush Radio Academy, the event comes amid controversy over whether the project office has the necessary authorisation to operate as a government-related institution.

The ICPC had alleged that the organisation was operating without presidential approval and claimed that it had been allocated space within the premises of the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF) without the required authorisation.

The anti-corruption agency previously stated that President Bola Tinubu had ordered the arrest of the project’s promoter, George Buchi Nwabueze, and the suspension of three permanent secretaries in connection with the matter.

However, Nwabueze and the project office have rejected descriptions of the organisation as a fake or unauthorised government agency, maintaining that the initiative operates as a public-private project aimed at supporting local production.

In a statement, the management said the initiative was anchored on Executive Orders 003 of 2017 and 005 of 2018, which it argued support the promotion of Nigerian-made products and efforts to stimulate domestic production.

The organisation has also reportedly approached the court in Suit No. CV/2634/26, seeking an order to preserve the status quo amid the dispute over its legal standing.

The latest exhibition indicates that the project office continued promoting indigenous products while questions over its authorisation remained unresolved.

The ICPC investigation and the organisation’s legal challenge are separate developments, and the allegations against the project office should not be treated as established findings of wrongdoing. The outcome of the investigation and the court proceedings is expected to provide further clarity on the initiative’s legal status.