Fresh revelations have emerged regarding the dismissal of Fegho Umunubo, President Bola Tinubu’s Special Assistant on Digital and Creative Economy, who served under Vice President Kashim Shettima. According to insiders at the presidency, Umunubo was sacked after being linked to a series of alleged scams within the creative industry, which he reportedly executed under the guise of his official position.
Sources revealed that Umunubo entered questionable sponsorship agreements with filmmakers and creatives, promising government-backed funding and visibility that never materialized. One notable case involved Arese Ugwu, author and creator of The Smart Money Woman series.
Documents reportedly reviewed by Premium Times indicated that Umunubo, acting in his official capacity, signed a deal pledging ₦10 million sponsorship for the premiere and marketing of Lara Unlimited, a spin-off of Ugwu’s work. The agreement also granted the presidency’s digital economy office extensive promotional rights, including branding on event backdrops and movie posters, a 30–45 second advert before screenings, podcast features, and influencer shoutouts. However, the pledge was never honored.
On August 30, Ms. Ugwu publicly accused Umunubo of fraud in an Instagram post, stating, “Just so it’s clear that I’m not crashing out over ₦5 million naira as Fegho Umunubo would like you to believe. He owes me ₦10 million, but this is about something bigger… It’s about dangling a fund of $617 million and another of ₦5 billion for over 12 months… playing games with my resilience when I was trying so hard to pivot from the gbese I was already in.”
Presidency insiders alleged that Ugwu’s case was not an isolated incident, with one source stating, “He scammed multiple people in the industry using that office.” Allegations suggest that Umunubo consistently leveraged his proximity to power to lure Nollywood practitioners into similar deals that never materialized.
Although Umunubo was quietly relieved of his duties in August, sources claim he continued to present himself as a presidential aide. This prompted the State House to issue a public notice on Monday, formally announcing his disengagement. The notice, signed by Abiodun Oladunjoye, Director of Information at the State House, warned stakeholders in the creative sector to refrain from dealing with him.
“Kindly note that he no longer represents this administration in any capacity. Henceforth, anyone who interfaces with him in the name of President Tinubu’s administration does so at his or her own risk,” the statement read.
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