*** Faults fake declaration after 16 years

***Says agency existence dates back to 2010

***, Stakeholders blame weak civil service, bureaucratic system

By Eze Nnadi

The National Coordinator and Executive Director of the National Brands Development and Made in Nigeria Special Project Office, George Nwabueze, has faulted the declaration of the agency as fake by the federal government, saying the commission’s existence pre dates the President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

The embattled coordinator, who insisted that all documents that facilitated the creation of the agency were genuinely issued by the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), noted that it has been in existence since 2010

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), had last week declared the National Brands Development and Made in Nigeria Special Project Office as a fake federal agency.

The ICPC declaration followed a wider investigation, following the controversy that trailed the operations of another alleged ‘fake” agency , the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council ( PFIPC).

The ICPC in its investigation, alleged that the office had been allocated space within the OSGF premises without presidential authorisation .

It also identified George Nwanieze as the promoter of the alleged fake agency.

Nwanieze has, however, denied the fake proclamation of the agency by the ICPC, insisting that it is legitimate , adding that the existence and office allocation at the premises of the DGF were done with full recognition by the federal government arm.

Nwanieze, who went further to post series of documents on his Instagram and Linkedin pages on Sunday, to justify the agency’s recognition by the federal government, says that the agency has been in existence since 2010,, adding that it pre dates the current All Progressives Congress (APC) administration of President Bola Tinubu, while displaying documents issued on July 19, 2010, purportedly by the OSGF to justify its links with the office.

He similarly displayed letters, referenced NIG@ 50/S. 7/C,3/45 and signed by one Dominic Y.E. for the SGF, which was addressed to “Buchi George,” then “Executive Director of The Hats Centre” in Owerri, Imo State.

The letter, titled, “RE: ENDORSEMENT OF OUR PROJECT, MADE IN NAIJA, TO BE HELD IN IRELAND,” the letter acknowledged receipt of a proposal dated July 16, 2010, seeking endorsement of a “Made in Naija” project to be held in Ireland as part of Nigeria’s 50th anniversary..

It read, “I am directed to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 16 July 2010 on the above subject and inform you that you should forward your proposal to the Nigerian High Commission in Ireland for possible consideration.

“Please accept the assurances of the warm regards of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.”

He therefore queried what he described as the sudden declaration of the agency as fake, after its 16 years of existence.

He stated, “History and facts, from Made in naija since 15th June 2010 to made in nigeria project office that is since 16 years in same OSGF Office.

“How can you discover a 16 years programme in 2026, it means you have been blind, we are committed to the national development.”

Meanwhile, Nwabueze subsequently posted graphics bearing the office’s logo and promoting its activities.

One graphic carried the slogans, “Localise national products, industrialise Nigeria,” “Our products. Our pride. Our progress,” and calls to “Create,” “Boost local economy,” “Reduce import dependency,” and “Build a stronger Nigeria.”

The coordinator, who denied the allegation, insisted that the office was a project office under the OSGF and had existed for 16 years.

This is as stakeholders have blamed what they described as Nigeria’s weak civil service and bureaucratic structure for the alleged multiplicity of the operation of alleged fake federal government agencies in the country

A former Permanent Secretary of the Federation Civil Service Commission, Goke Adeboroye, ssid the development exposes significant weaknesses in the country’s bureaucratic system.

Adeboroye, who blamed a decayed bureaucratic system, said the incident raised serious questions about how an individual could allegedly gain entry into the government system, secure an appointment, access budgetary provisions and obtain office space without the relevant authorities detecting the irregularities.

“The exposure of that fake presidential agency is a major lapse to say that somebody can actually come into the system, get in on the budget, get offices, and all of that,” he said during an interview on Channels Television’s Inside Sources.

He blamed key offices within the Presidency and government, as well as the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President and the Office of the Head of the Civil Service for the lapses, earning that the offices must be sufficiently capable of helping the President implement his policies while also providing the necessary checks to prevent fraudulent or unlawful directives from gaining effect.

“The bureaucracy in those offices are not strong enough to be able to help the President drive the vision at the speed and with the efficiency that he wants

“The political office holders are principals to the bureaucracy, and a lot of times, the bureaucracy takes directives from them,” he noted

***I’ll restore fuel subsidy, Atiku vows

***Says 2027 election will be his last attempt at presidency 

*** This is highest level of desperation, out of touch with Nigeria’s economic realities, says APC

*** FG explains gains of subsidy removal 

By Nkem Okereh 

As political campaigns commence ahead of the 2027 general elections, the federal government and former vice president and presidential candidate of the opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubarkar have faced serious disagreement over what the federal government has described as the gains it has recorded with the removal of petrol subsidy 

President Bola Tinubu had upon assumption of office in May 2023, announced the removal of petrol subsidy, which together is with other government’s economic reforms unarguably has left some untold hardship on the people 

While the federal government has defended it’s decision, as it rolled out the gains of the removal on Wednesday, the ADC presidential candidate has vowed to return petrol subsidy, if he is elected as Nigeria’s next president in 2027

Atiku, who made the declaration when he appeared on a Hausa-speaking interview on the PAP show on Wednesday, said his administration would ensure that anyone who had stolen funds meant for fuel subsidy returns the money if he assumes office.

This is even as the federal government, through  the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the economy, Taiwo Oyedele, said the removal of the petrol subsidy and the liberalisation of the naira have generated N15.8 trillion in savings for the federation between June 2023 and December 2025.

The Federal Account Allocation Committee ;FAAC), had earlier attributed the sharp increase in the states and local government areas monthly allocations to money saved from the subsidy removal policy 

Atiku, at the interview, said despite the removal of fuel subsidy, the Tinubu administration had failed to improve the lives of Nigerians, adding that the APC administration has plunged the country into serious debts with the numerous loans it has obtained across the world 

Atiku acknowledged that he initially supported the removal but said developments since then had changed his position, and therefore pledged to reverse the policy if he defeats Tinubu in the January 2027 presidential election.

“I initially did not oppose the removal of the fuel subsidy. But now that it has been removed, where is the money?

“If I win the presidential election, I will restore the subsidy. And anyone who stole Nigeria’s subsidy funds must return the money. Now it has been removed. Where is the money? If the funds were used to improve healthcare, education, insecurity, security and youth empowerment, things would have been better.” he said

Atiku also questioned the N15 trillion the Tinubu administration said it had saved, arguing injustice and corruption among political leaders were the main reasons Nigerians are suffering.

The former Vice-President, who has made a record  five attempts at the presidency, since 2007, also declared that the 2027 presidential election will be his final attempt to become Nigeria’s President, ruling out any plan to seek the office again in 2031.

“No, I have said it before, right from this election, I will not contest again

“First of all, I appeal to those who have voter cards, for their own sake, their families, and their future, to go out and vote. That is the solution to the problems they are facing,” Atiku said.

Atiku also dismissed concerns about his age and capacity to handle the demands of the presidency, insisting that he remained physically fit to govern.

“No doctor has declared that I am unfit in terms of health. I know my body, I know I am healthy, and I do not have a single defect,” he said.

But the ruling APC has however carpeted and described Atiku’s pledge to return the petrol subsidy regime as “desperation of the highest order” saying the former vice president has backflipped from his 2023 policy support for fuel subsidy removal to a promise to restore fuel subsidy if elected president in 2027

APC National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka stated in X, while responding to Atiku that, “This is desperation of the most pitiful kind … an admission he is clueless and out of touch with Nigeria’s economic realities and imperatives of reform … willful blindness to transformative progress recorded by the Tinubu-administration … grossly bereft of ideas of alternative economic policy prescription … a last-ditch grasping at straws of misplaced populism that sets up to what may well become the final defeat, in 2027, of the longest presidential ambition in Nigeria’s electoral history.”

The federal government highlighted the several benefits that have accrued to the nation through the economic reforms introduced by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Giving the breakdown, Oyedele stayed that savings realised from two key policies – the removal of the petrol subsidy and the unification of foreign exchange rates – stood at N15.8 trillion.

He added that subsidy savings were largely responsible for stability in the fiscal space, with states now able to meet their obligations to staff and contractors unhindered, in contrast to the previous situation where several states relied on loans to meet basic salary and other commitments.

The  breakdown further indicated that states and councils received about N10.4 trillion, while the federal government got N5.4 trillion from the subsidy savings.

Tinubu

*** Says despite high availability of limestone, cement price hits high roof, sells between N12,000 to N13,000 per 50kg bag

***Commodity sells far cheaper in Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, Egypt, Morocco, others than Nigeria

*** Commission summons Dangote, BUA, others

By Eze Nnadi

As Nigerians groan over high cost of cement and other buildings materials, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has alleged a possible manipulation of the prices of the commodity by manufacturers and dealers in the country

This is as the commission made public it’s investigation into the high host of cement in Nigeria, despite the high availability of it’s major production raw material, limestone

It would be recalled that the high prices of cement has drastically affected the capacity and strength of Nigerians to build houses. This is even as governments contractors, especially those constructing roads with cement , have at one point or the other, requested for reviewed of the contracts they signed with the federal Ministry of Works, following the rising cost of product

The request similarly led to a recent call by the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi for the federal government to hold a meeting with the majority producers of cement in the country, Dangote and BUA, to address the unending rising cost of the product

FCCPC in a statement on Tuesday, disclosed that it carried out a three-month investigation into the rising cost of the building material despite the country’s substantial production capacity and limestone deposits.

The commission stated in the statement issued by its Director of Corporate Affairs, Ondaje Ijagwu, that preliminary findings showed that the prevailing prices of cement could not be fully explained by market conditions, adding that it has opened a further investigation into possible anti-competitive practices in the sector.

FCCPC stayed further that it’s investigation to it to compare the prices of cement in Nigeria with that of other African countries, including Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, Egypt, Morocco, Algeria and Togo.

Accordingly to the commission, “Findings from an industry-wide investigation conducted by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission suggest possible manipulation of prices of cement in the Nigerian market.

“This is the preliminary summation of the 40-page field reports collated following a three-month cross-border study by the Anticompetitive Practices Department of the Commission, undertaken in response to widespread public complaints over the high cost of cement, a common staple in the country’s construction industry.”

The commission regretted that Nigeria, with a substantial concentration of limestone deposits and installed cement production capacity estimated at between 60 million and 65 million metric tonnes annually, compared with domestic consumption of about 25 million to 30 million metric tonnes.still sells cement at a price far higher that other African countries where limestone is at a lesser concentration

It added that the situation has become more worrisome, as the price has remained low even in countries where Nigerian manufacturers export the product to, adding that despite the reported excess capacity of the product and Nigeria’s position as a net exporter to neighbouring countries, domestic cement prices had continued to rise.

According to the commission, market intelligence showed that a 50kg bag of cement, which sold for between N9,300 and N9,700 in January, rose to between N10,500 and N13,000 by mid-year.

It regretted that the price jumped higher by July , when it rose to between N13,000 and N15,000 in some parts of the country, while it remained steadily at lower prices in some African markets.

According to the FCCPC, “In Kenya, for instance, the 58.6 million population (76% lower than Nigeria’s) has domestic cement demand of approximately 9.3m MTPA (metric tonne per annum) in 2025. Retail price in Nairobi is $5.40 (N7,344). Kenya is endowed with limestone. In Tanzania, with population of 66.3m (72% lower than Nigeria’s) and the domestic cement demand is 9.3m MTPA (2025), a bag of cement sells for $4.80 (N6,528). In Togo, a bag sells for $6.75 (N9,180). Significantly, Togo does not have limestone deposit.”

The commission raised concerns about the price disparity, adding that Nigeria’s significant production capacity and raw material endowment had not translated into greater downward pressure on prices.

It however noted that industry players had attributed the high prices to energy costs, naira depreciation, imported machinery and spare parts, transportation and logistics expenses.

However, the FCCPC said it was testing those explanations against verified information on production costs, pricing, capacity utilisation and other market conditions.

The commission has therefore issued a notice and summoned the major players in the nation’s cement sector, demanding records relating to pricing methodologies, production, capacity utilisation, exports and commercial relationships.

The FCCPC explained further that the probe would determine whether cement prices were being driven by legitimate costs and market conditions or by anti-competitive practices, adding that would examine possible coordinated conduct, abuse of market power, restriction of domestic supply and anti-competitive distribution practices.

“Of particular concern to the Commission is that this level of production capacity has not resulted in the downward pressure on domestic prices that might ordinarily be expected in a competitive market with substantial excess capacity.

“Information provided by industry participants has identified energy costs, depreciation of the Naira and its effect on imported machinery and spare parts, as well as transportation and logistics costs, among the factors contributing to cement prices. The Commission is testing these explanations against verified information on costs, production, pricing and market conditions. However, the weight of preliminary findings provides sufficient grounds for the investigation to continue,” the statement stated further

The statement further quoted the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the FCCPC, Tunji Bello, as saying the probe was necessary because of cement’s strategic importance to the Nigerian economy.

“Cement occupies a strategic place in the Nigerian economy. Its price affects the cost of building a home, developing commercial property, delivering public infrastructure and, ultimately, the cost of doing business. When concerns persist about how such an important market is functioning, the Commission has a duty to look beyond assumptions and establish the fact

“Businesses are entitled to make legitimate commercial decisions and earn returns on their investments. Competition law does not prevent that. Its purpose is to protect the competitive process, so that prices, output and other market outcomes are determined by genuine competition rather than conduct that unlawfully restricts it,” Bello was quoted to have stated.