George Nwabueze, the National Coordinator and Executive Director of the National Brands Development and Made in Nigeria Special Project Office, has strongly refuted allegations that he is operating an illegal federal agency.

Speaking in response to an investigation by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission, Nwabueze maintained that his office operates legally under the supervision of the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation. He pointed to an official appointment letter dated October 2025, signed by the Permanent Secretary of the Political and Economic Affairs Office, which conveyed his five-year tenure under the Renewed Hope Agenda. Furthermore, documentation indicates that his office previously submitted proposals to secure formal special project status to bolster its mandate of promoting domestic products, economic growth, and non-oil sector development.

Despite these documents, the ICPC alleged that the outfit was operating without presidential authorization alongside the fictitious Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, with some senior public servants reportedly backing the initiative. An OSGF staff member also noted that the office had been closed for months amid ongoing inquiries, while the OSGF spokesman directed media inquiries to formal written correspondence. Authorities have yet to officially brief the police regarding a formal manhunt as conflicting accounts surrounding the project's official status continue to unfold.