Federal Gov’t Bans Procurement Of Foreign Goods, Services Where Local Alternatives Exist

The federal government has approved a far-reaching policy tagged the Renewed Hope Nigeria First Initiative, which mandates all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) of government to prioritise Nigerian-made goods and services in government procurements.

Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, disclosed this to State House correspondents on Monday after the federal executive council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

According to him, the policy was aimed at putting Nigeria “at the centre of all business activities” in the country.

Idris explained that the initiative, which is set to be backed by an Executive Order, was part of efforts to build a bold, confident, and self-reliant economy by investing in local industries and boosting homegrown capacity.

“This is a major shift in government policy. It puts Nigeria—not foreign companies, not imports—at the heart of our national development,” he said.

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The Federal Government has directed the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) to immediately revise and enforce procurement guidelines to reflect the new policy.

According to Idris, the BPP is also to create a Local Content Compliance Framework for all government contracts and maintain a register of high-quality Nigerian manufacturers and service providers.

Furthermore, all procurement officers currently posted to MDAs will now be redeployed to the BPP to strengthen central oversight, while MDAs have been directed to audit and revise their procurement plans in line with the policy.

“No procurement of foreign goods or services already available locally shall proceed without justification and a written waiver from the BPP,” Idris warned.

He said contracts for goods not produced locally must include provisions for technology transfer, local production, or skills development, citing the sugar industry as an example where backward integration will now be enforced under the Sugar Master Plan.

The new directive also comes with sanctions as Minister said: “Breaches will attract consequences, including cancellation of procurement processes and disciplinary action against responsible officers.”

The Attorney-General of the Federation has been mandated to prepare the executive order that will give the policy full legal backing.

President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Nigeria First Policy, according to FEC, aims to end the era of needless importation and revive Nigeria’s ailing industries by ensuring that government procurement directly supports local economic growth.