Former Minister of Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalung, has called for a wider investigation into an alleged fake government agency, saying the issue may be bigger than the activities of its alleged promoter.

Reacting to reports on the issue, Dalung said fresh details surrounding the National Brands Development and Made-in-Nigeria Special Project Office point to a structure that allegedly stretched across several states in Nigeria and beyond the country.

According to him, the organisation reportedly had coordinators in about 20 states, with representatives also said to be operating in countries including China and the United States.

Dalung said the reported network raises a central question: how could an organisation whose government authorisation was allegedly in doubt develop such a wide structure and operate close to the centre of government?

“Who appointed these coordinators? Who communicated those appointments? Who interacted with them as representatives of the organisation?” he asked.

He also questioned who gave the alleged representatives access to government offices and who dealt with their official correspondence.

For Dalung, the controversy should not end with the alleged promoter or the suspension of some government officials.

“Those actions may be necessary, but they should only be the beginning,” he said.

The former minister urged investigators to follow the trail of the organisation’s activities and identify everyone who may have helped it gain an appearance of legitimacy.

He also questioned whether officials and members of the public interacted with the organisation without knowing that its legal status was allegedly in dispute.

“Who was running the real government while the fake one was operating?” Dalung asked.

He said the investigation should also determine whether similar structures exist elsewhere within the government system.

“If these allegations are established, this is no longer just a story about a ‘fake agency,’” Dalung said.

“It is a story about how easily the appearance of government authority can allegedly be created within the Nigerian state.”

The claims raised by Dalung are allegations and require independent verification and clarification from the relevant government authorities.

The controversy has nevertheless opened a broader debate about oversight, government authorisation and accountability within Nigeria’s public institutions.