By Izunna Okafor, Awka
The Secretary to the Anambra State Government, Mrs. Chiamaka Nnake, has clarified her role in the activities of the controversial “Made-in-Nigeria” agency recently uncovered by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) as an allegedly fraudulent federal agency, distancing herself from activities of the organisation beyond her official engagement as Anambra State’s nominated focal person.
Nnake’s clarification followed public attention generated after her photograph was displayed in materials identifying her as one of the State Coordinators of the organisation, which the ICPC identified as the National Brands Development and Made-in-Nigeria Special Project Office allegedly operating illegally from the premises of the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
The controversy deepened after the ICPC Chairman, Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, disclosed that the Commission had uncovered the purported agency in the course of its wider investigation into fraudulent government bodies and weaknesses in the public service. The Commission said the office had allegedly been allocated space within the SGF’s premises without the requisite authorisation, while the agency’s promoter and self-acclaimed DG, Prince George Buchi Nwabueze, was alleged to have operated under different variations of his name. President Bola Tinubu subsequently ordered his arrest and the suspension of three Permanent Secretaries as investigations continue.
However, reacting in a statement issued to newsmen on Saturday, the Anambra State SSG, Nnake explained that her contact with the agency began through what she understood to be an official communication received by the Anambra State Government in January 2026.
According to the SSG, the office, which was said to be operating under the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, had written to the state requesting the nomination of a State Focal Person.
She said Governor Chukwuma Soludo subsequently nominated her as Anambra State’s focal person in February, following which focal persons from the 36 states were brought together on a WhatsApp platform to discuss activities associated with the office.
“I wish to clarify the circumstances surrounding the trending news concerning the purported “Made-in-Nigeria Agency,” in which my photograph has been displayed and I have been identified as one of the State Coordinators.
“In January 2026, the Governor received a letter from the Made-in-Nigeria Office, said to be under the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, requesting the nomination of a State Focal Person. In response, the Governor, in February 2026, nominated me as the State Focal Person for Anambra State,” she explained.
Nnake further explained that the same office later approached the Anambra State Government with a request for Anambra to host the South-East edition of a Made-in-Nigeria Fair, which was approved by the state government.
She said an inaugural meeting on preparations for the event was held about two weeks ago, with the National Coordinator in attendance, while a State Committee had since been working towards the fair scheduled to hold in Anambra from December 2 to 5, 2026.
Notably, an earlier publication on the official Anambra State Government website had also announced preparations for a National Products Expo in the state, reporting that the proposed fair was presented to state officials as a federal special project connected to the promotion of locally made products and services. The development provides further context to Nnake’s explanation that her involvement arose from official interactions and communications received by the state government.
The SSG, however, drew a line between those engagements and the wider allegations now surrounding the purported federal agency, maintaining that she had no knowledge of or involvement in any other activities attributed to the agency.
She stressed that anything outside the nomination, engagements with other state focal persons and preparations for the proposed fair was outside her knowledge and participation.
“I therefore wish to make it clear that anything beyond the above-mentioned official interactions is entirely outside my knowledge and involvement,” she stated.
Nnake’s clarification comes against the backdrop of growing scrutiny of the alleged agency and the extent of its operations across the country, particularly following reports that it had established contacts and structures involving officials in different states. The ICPC investigation remains ongoing, and the allegations surrounding the office have not been finally determined by a court.
Recall that before her appointment as Secretary to the Anambra State Government shortly after Governor Soludo’s inauguration for his second term, Nnake served as the state’s Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, where she was involved in planning coordinating resources for socio-economic development.
She had also held strategic leadership responsibilities in institutions including the Anambra State Investment Promotion and Protection Agency, the State Internal Revenue Service Board and the Small Business Agency, while serving as Chairman of Solution Fun City Limited. She was also associated with the state’s Ease of Doing Business reforms and Social Investment programmes, through which she promoted policies aimed at inclusive growth and economic expansion.
Her appointment as SSG in March 2026 was announced by the state government as part of the administration’s efforts to deploy her experience in finance, strategy and public-sector administration in coordinating government activities.
With the ICPC investigation continuing, Nnake’s statement aimed at clarifying the circumstances under which her name and photograph became associated with the organisation, insisting that her role was based on a nomination made by the State Governor following an official request and letter from the Secretary to the Governor of the Federation, and that she had no connection with activities beyond those engagements.
