The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has endorsed a “Nigeria First” economic policy aimed at giving priority to locally produced goods and services in government procurement processes.
This announcement was made on Monday by Nigeria’s Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, following the FEC meeting in Abuja. He indicated that an executive order would soon be issued to support this policy.
“The essence of this policy is to ensure that Nigeria is prioritized in all procurement activities; foreign goods or products currently available locally will not be acquired without a valid and justifiable reason,” the minister explained during a press briefing at the State House.
He added, “This initiative intends to cultivate a new business ethos that is assertive, confident, and distinctly Nigerian. It aims to encourage the government to invest in its people and industries by transforming spending practices, procurement methods, and overall economic development.”
“From now on, Nigerian industry will be the foremost choice in procurement processes. In instances where local supply is insufficient, contracts will be designed to enhance domestic capacity, ensuring that contractors do not serve merely as intermediaries for foreign goods, which undermines local manufacturers.”
Idris noted that the policy is in line with President Tinubu’s vision of promoting industrialization, protecting the economy from global disruptions, and enhancing local production.
The FEC has instructed the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) to update and enforce new guidelines that favor local manufacturers and service providers.
He stated, “The BPP has been directed to promptly revise and implement procurement guidelines that prioritize locally made products and develop a local content compliance framework for all government procurements.”
Additionally, the minister mentioned several directives for the BPP, including maintaining a registry of high-quality Nigerian manufacturers and service providers engaged by the Federal Government and reassigning all procurement officers from the Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) back to the Bureau of Public Procurement, ensuring efficiency is not compromised.
