The Anambra State Government was drawn into activities of a purported federal agency after officials were led to believe that the organisation operated under the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
The organisation, which was later uncovered by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission as a fake agency, had contacted the state government and secured its participation in plans to organise a Made-in-Nigeria Fair in Anambra.
The development came to light after the ICPC launched investigations into the activities of the organisation and found that it was not a properly established federal agency.
Anambra State Secretary to the Government, Chiamaka Nnake, explained that the state became involved after Governor Chukwuma Soludo received correspondence from the organisation in January 2026.
According to her account, the letter presented the organisation as an office operating under the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and requested that the Anambra Government nominate a focal person to work with it.
The state subsequently nominated Nnake as its focal person, following the request.
She said representatives nominated by the 36 states were brought together in a WhatsApp group where they discussed activities and plans associated with the purported federal office.
The organisation later approached the Anambra Government with a request for the state to host a South-East edition of its planned Made-in-Nigeria Fair.
The request was approved by the state government, after which preparations began for the event.
Nnake said an inaugural meeting of the state committee was held about two weeks ago and that the person presented as the organisation’s National Coordinator attended the meeting.
The committee thereafter began preparations for the proposed fair, which was scheduled to hold in Anambra from December 2 to 5, 2026.
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The planned event was intended to promote locally produced goods and provide an avenue for businesses and manufacturers in the South-East to display their products.
However, the discovery by the ICPC that the organisation was not a legitimate federal agency has raised questions about how it was able to establish contact with state governments and secure their cooperation.
Nnake said her involvement with the organisation was limited to the official communications and activities initiated through the Anambra State Government.
She said she had no knowledge of or involvement in any other activities, claims or dealings attributed to the purported agency outside the official engagements conducted through the state government.
The clarification came as the ICPC continued its investigation into the organisation and other fictitious bodies allegedly operating within or around government structures.
The commission had earlier disclosed that the purported National Brands Development and Made-in-Nigeria Special Project Office had been allocated office space within the premises of the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation without presidential approval.
The ICPC identified George Buchi Nwabueze as the promoter of the organisation and said investigations were ongoing into how the office obtained access to government facilities and interacted with public institutions.
The commission also alleged that some public officials may have assisted the organisation, leading President Bola Tinubu to order Nwabueze’s arrest and suspend three permanent secretaries pending the outcome of the investigation.
The Anambra case shows how the organisation was able to present itself as a federal institution and gain access to state-level government activities before its status came under investigation.
With the planned December fair now thrown into doubt, the state government is expected to review its dealings with the organisation as authorities continue efforts to establish how the purported agency operated and the extent of its activities across the country.
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