The Anambra State Government has explained how it became involved with a purported Made-in-Nigeria Agency that has now been exposed as fake and non-existent.
The state government said it had been preparing to host a South-East Made-in-Nigeria Fair in December after receiving what officials believed was an official request from the agency.
The controversy came to public attention after the agency was exposed and a photograph of Anambra State Secretary to the Government, Chiamaka Nnake, began circulating online with her identified as the state’s focal person.
Nnake has now clarified her involvement, saying her dealings with the organisation were based on official communications received by the state government.
How Anambra Became Involved
According to Nnake, the matter began in January 2026 when the state received a letter from the purported Made-in-Nigeria Office.
The letter was said to have come from an office claiming to operate under the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and requested that each state nominate a focal person.
Following the request, Governor Chukwuma Soludo nominated Nnake to represent Anambra State.
She said focal persons from the 36 states subsequently joined a WhatsApp group where they discussed activities and plans connected to the purported office.
At the time, there was no indication to the state officials that they were dealing with an organisation that did not actually exist.
December Fair Was Already Being Planned
The controversy deepened when the purported agency later contacted Anambra State with a request to host the South-East edition of its Made-in-Nigeria Fair.
The state approved the request, after which an inaugural planning meeting was held approximately two weeks ago.
Nnake said the meeting was attended by a person presented as the National Coordinator of the organisation.
Based on those interactions, preparations began for the event, which was scheduled to take place in Anambra from December 2 to 5, 2026.
The revelation that the organisation was allegedly fake has now left the state government explaining how it became involved in the planned event.
Nnake Distances Herself From Other Activities
Nnake said her involvement was limited strictly to the official communications and engagements she described.
She stressed that she had no knowledge of, involvement in or connection with other activities, claims or developments attributed to the purported agency.
Her clarification followed the widespread circulation of her photograph, which created the impression that she was actively involved in the organisation beyond her role as the state’s nominated focal person.
The Anambra government has therefore sought to separate its legitimate engagement with what it believed was an official government initiative from any other activities associated with the organisation.
The development has also raised fresh questions about how the purported agency was able to communicate with state governments and secure their participation before its legitimacy came under scrutiny.
