Fake Agencies Expose Nigeria’s Trust Gap Ahead of 2027 Elections

By Onibiyo Segun

(Abuja, FCT) – Two entities described by ICPC as fictitious operated with offices, websites and official-looking communications, exposing a verification gap that allows Nigerians to struggle to distinguish legitimate institutions from impostors.

The Alleged Fake Government That Looked Real

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) said it uncovered entities presenting themselves as federal bodies, including the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC) headed by Adeniyi Adeyemi and the National Brands Development and Made-in-Nigeria Special Project Office, headed by Hon. Nwabueze Buchi George.

ICPC said PFIPC was not created by law, executive order or any valid government instrument, yet it operated with official-looking documents and structures that created an impression of legitimacy.

The commission also said the National Brands Development and Made-in-Nigeria Special Project Office operated from premises linked to the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation without presidential authorisation.

The central question is not only who allegedly created the entities, but how they gained enough credibility to appear official.

The Human Cost: ‘It Looked Like Government’

For Benard Ufom, a logistics contractor based in Onitsha, Anambra State, the problem was that no official channel helped him verify the claim before engagement.

Ufom told TruthNigeria, “I attended a PFIPC programme in early 2025 after seeing a website displaying federal branding and the presidential seal. The invitation, sent through WhatsApp, promised access to investment support and SME grants.”

“The flyer had a government logo. The venue address looked official. I went because I believed it was a presidential initiative,” Ufom said.

Ufom explained: “participants submitted company profiles and CAC documents for screening but received no follow-up. I tried to check PFIPC on the government portal. There was nothing. If the government cannot tell us what is real, how will we know?” he added.

His experience reflects a wider concern: when government identity cannot be quickly verified, citizens and businesses become vulnerable to organisations that appear official.

Inside Nigeria’s Verification Gap

The scandal is not only about alleged fraud. It is about institutional design. Nigeria has no single public platform where citizens, investors and businesses can instantly confirm whether an agency, council or presidential initiative is genuine.

TruthNigeria spoke with governance, anti-corruption, election and digital experts who warned that weak verification systems create wider risks.

Prof. Roju Akinkugbe, Governance and Public Law Expert, based in Abuja said: “Nigeria has no public registry to verify agencies. That flaw lets impostors borrow state authority and enter government.”

Hauwa Aliyu Kainkiya, Anti-Corruption Expert and Director, based in Kaduna said: “This is an oversight failure. If ICPC finds fake offices inside the government, who was checking before citizens were harmed?”

David Olumisi, Digital Governance and Communications Expert based in Canada told TruthNigeria, “A website and logo now equal legitimacy. Nigeria needs a portal to confirm every agency and appointment instantly.”

Who Guards Government Identity?

The allegations have raised a deeper accountability question: who protects the identity and credibility of Nigeria’s government institutions?

Government agencies and initiatives usually require approval through the Presidency, the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, supervising ministries and, where required, the National Assembly.

The ICPC investigation identified gaps in verification procedures, inter-agency coordination and oversight that allegedly allowed the entities to appear legitimate.

Questions remain over who maintains a public record of recognised agencies, verifies presidential initiatives and approves government branding.

The bigger issue is whether Nigeria’s systems can stop false government identities from gaining public trust.

Election-Year Vulnerability

No evidence shows the alleged entities were created for electoral purposes. However, analysts warn similar structures could be exploited during elections through fake empowerment schemes, false appointments and data collection.

Afugba said, “Similar structures could be exploited before elections. Without verification, manufactured authority can sway voters and damage democracy.”

“With Nigeria approaching another election cycle, government identity verification is becoming a democratic issue, not only an administrative one.” Afugba explained.

Government Response And Remaining Questions

President Bola Tinubu directed ICPC to investigate PFIPC after authorities questioned its legal status and claims of government approval.

ICPC later submitted an interim report recommending prosecution of Adeniyi Adeyemi, who allegedly presented himself as PFIPC’s director-general.

ICPC said investigators found Adeyemi was never appointed by the Federal Government, PFIPC lacked legal foundation, and documents supporting the agency’s existence were allegedly forged.

The commission also recommended sanctions against public officers linked to the operation and reforms to strengthen verification systems across government institutions. The investigation further uncovered two additional alleged fictitious agencies linked to the PFIPC operation.

Critical questions remain:

How many other suspected fake agencies exist?

Is government conducting a wider audit of agencies, councils and presidential initiatives?

Will Nigeria create a public verification system for government institutions and appointments?

Building A Government Identity Firewall

Olumisi noted that, “public agency registry, digital verification tools and transparent publication of all new government bodies. Trust is technical. Give Nigerians a tool to check, and fakes die overnight”.

Prof. Akinkugbe went on to say, “The scandal is not only about two entities but whether Nigeria can protect institutional credibility. If a fictitious entity can operate for years, how many others are influencing Nigerians now?” 

Onibiyo Segun reports on conflict for TruthNigeria.

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