The Executive Director of the Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD), Y. Z. Ya’u, has warned that Nigeria could soon witness the emergence of “fake states” and governors if weaknesses in the country’s public institutions are not addressed.

Ya’u issued the warning following the discovery of an organisation allegedly operating as a government agency within the federal government structure.

“I wonder why Nigerians are surprised that there are fake agencies within the federal government. It is the height of naivety to expect anything other than this,” Ya’u said in an interview with Daily Post.

“Soon, if we are not careful, we will have fake states with fake governors and state assemblies getting allocations from the Federation Account,” he warned.

His comments followed growing concerns over how organisations with questionable government status have allegedly operated from government premises while presenting themselves as official institutions.

The latest controversy involves the National Brands Development and Made-in-Nigeria Special Project Office, which the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) described as an unauthorised organisation allegedly operating from a government building in Abuja.

The ICPC Chairman, Dr Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN, said the organisation was allegedly promoted by George Buchi Nwabueze, who was also accused of using different variations of his name.

Following a briefing by the ICPC, President Bola Tinubu ordered Nwabueze’s arrest and the suspension of three permanent secretaries in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF).

The development has raised fresh questions about the ability of government institutions to detect and prevent questionable organisations from operating within official structures.

Vice-President of the Nigerian Political Science Association, Professor Murtala Muhammad, said the matter should not be viewed simply as a case of individuals allegedly creating fake organisations.

He described it as “fundamentally a governance and institutional failure, rather than merely a case of individual criminality.”

Muhammad said weak rules, poor verification systems and inadequate oversight had created opportunities for private individuals to exploit the authority and credibility associated with government.

“Where rules, verification mechanisms, enforcement and oversight are weak, private actors can appropriate the authority and legitimacy of the state,” he said.

He added that the alleged creation of offices and appointment documents by the disputed Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) pointed to serious weaknesses in the government’s administrative system.

“The alleged creation of offices, fabrication of appointment documents and efforts to present the organisation as a legitimate government institution point to serious weaknesses in bureaucratic verification and institutional accountability,” Muhammad said.

The political analyst said the controversy surrounding the PFIPC was particularly troubling because of reports that the organisation allegedly sought a ₦1.3 billion budgetary allocation.

“The reported attempt by the PFIPC to secure a ₦1.3 billion budgetary allocation is especially disturbing because it suggests that institutional vulnerabilities may extend into the fiscal architecture of government,” he said.

According to Muhammad, the problem is also linked to poor governance, corruption, weak coordination among government agencies and inadequate accountability within the public service.

He stressed that stronger verification mechanisms, effective oversight and institutional accountability would be necessary to prevent individuals or private organisations from exploiting the identity and authority of government institutions.