FEC endorses ‘Nigeria First’ procurement policy

In a bold push for economic self-reliance, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) has endorsed a “Nigeria First” policy mandating the use of locally produced goods and services in all government procurement contracts.

Nigeria’s Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said this on Monday after the FEC meeting in Abuja.

Mohammed said the policy would soon be backed by an executive order.

“This policy means Nigeria comes first in all procurement processes; no foreign goods or devices that are already being produced locally will be procured without a clear and justified reason,” the minister said while briefing correspondents at the State House.

“Now this seeks to foster a new business culture that will be bold, confident, but also very, very Nigerian. It aims at making the government invest in our people and our industries by changing how the government spends money, how we procure, and how we also build our economy,” the minister added.

“Going forward, the Nigerian industry will take precedence in all procurement processes. Where local supply falls short, contracts will be structured to build capacity domestically. Contractors will no longer serve as intermediaries sourcing foreign goods where local factories die.”

According to him, the policy aligns with President Tinubu’s objective of driving industrialisation, insulating the economy from global disruptions, and boosting local production in the country.

FEC directed the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) to revise and enforce fresh guidelines to favour local manufacturers and service providers.

He said, “The BPP has been immediately directed to revise and enforce procurement guidelines to prioritize locally made goods and homegrown solutions. It has also been directed to create what is called a local content compliance framework for all government procurements.”

“Number three, the BPP has also been directed to maintain a register of high-quality Nigerian manufacturers and service providers regularly engaged by the Federal Government. Number four, the BPP, has also been directed to deploy all procurement officers from the MDAs; all the procurement officers posted to MDAs will be reverted to the Bureau of Public Procurement as a line agency without jeopardizing the possibility of efficiency,” the minister added.