Anambra govt linked to fresh fake agency scandal: SSG says State was deceived

The Anambra State Government has disclosed that it was preparing to host a South-East Made-in-Nigeria Fair in collaboration with an agency recently exposed by the Federal Government as fake and non-existent.

The Secretary to the Anambra State Government, Mrs Chiamaka Nnake, said the state was misled into engaging with the purported agency, which claimed to operate under the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF).

Nnake, who was nominated as Anambra’s State Focal Person for the agency, said Governor Chukwuma Soludo appointed her in February 2026 after the state received an official request for the nomination of a representative.

She made the clarification after her photograph circulated online alongside her name as one of the State Coordinators of the purported agency.

According to her, the state had no reason at the time to suspect that the office was fraudulent because the communication appeared to originate from an office within the Federal Government.

Nnake said the Governor received a letter in January 2026 from the purported Made-in-Nigeria Office requesting that each state nominate a focal person.

“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 said.

She added that representatives nominated by the 36 states subsequently interacted through a WhatsApp group on activities attributed to the purported office.

Nnake said the same office later requested that Anambra host the South-East Made-in-Nigeria Fair.

“More recently, the same office wrote to the State requesting that Anambra host the South-East Made-in-Nigeria Fair. The request was approved, and an inaugural meeting was held about two weeks ago, with the National Coordinator in attendance,” she said.

She disclosed that preparations had commenced for the event, which was scheduled for December 2 to 5, 2026.

“Since then, the State Committee has been working on preparations for the fair, which is scheduled to take place from December 2 to 5, 2026,” she added.

However, Nnake stressed that her involvement was limited to the official communications and activities she had described.

“Beyond these official interactions and engagements, I have no knowledge of, involvement in, or connection with any other activities, claims, or developments attributed to the said office,” she said.

The clarification followed the revelation that the purported National Brands Development and Made-in-Nigeria Special Project Office was not a legitimate government agency.

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) had disclosed that the office was illegally operating from premises allocated within the Office of the SGF.

Following the revelation, President Bola Tinubu ordered the immediate arrest of the alleged promoter of the fake agency and the suspension of three Permanent Secretaries in connection with the matter.

Nnake maintained that any activities attributed to the purported office beyond the official engagements she outlined were outside her knowledge and involvement.

“I, therefore, wish to make it clear that anything beyond the above-mentioned official interactions is entirely outside my knowledge and involvement,” she said.

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