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Indigenous original equipment manufacturer Zinox Group has called for stronger enforcement of Nigeria’s First Policy, saying effective implementation could provide Nigerian technology companies and innovators with the domestic market needed to scale their businesses and compete globally.
The Chairman of Zinox Group, Leo Stan Ekeh, commended President Bola Tinubu’s administration for introducing the policy but urged relevant government agencies, particularly the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), to ensure that Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) comply with its provisions.
Ekeh made the call at the Nigerian Bar Association’s (NBA) 66th Annual General Conference, themed “Beyond Limits,” during a session on “E-Commerce and Procurement: Transforming Public Contracting through Digital Systems, Transparency and Local Capacity Development.”
He argued that the Nigeria First Policy could extend beyond giving preference to indigenous companies, describing it as a potential instrument for strengthening the country’s innovation ecosystem, reducing dependence on imported technology and retaining more economic value within Nigeria.
According to him, giving credible local businesses greater access to public procurement opportunities could stimulate investment, encourage innovation, develop technical skills and support sustainable employment.
Ekeh said Nigeria’s ambition to build a competitive digital economy would be difficult to achieve if indigenous technology companies were consistently displaced by foreign alternatives in government procurement.
He therefore advocated a procurement framework that requires public institutions to prioritise locally produced goods, services and technology solutions where adequate domestic capacity exists, while ensuring that such solutions meet the quality and performance standards required for competitiveness.
Enforcement remains critical
While acknowledging the importance of the policy, Ekeh identified enforcement as a major factor that would determine its impact.
He called on the BPP and other relevant authorities to strengthen monitoring and apply appropriate sanctions where government entities fail to comply with existing procurement requirements.
For him, the effectiveness of a local-content policy is ultimately determined not by its existence on paper but by how consistently it is implemented across public institutions.
A properly enforced policy, he argued, could give Nigerian entrepreneurs greater confidence to invest in research, product development and manufacturing because of the availability of a more predictable domestic market.
The discussion also highlighted the growing role of digital systems in public procurement. E-procurement platforms, government cloud infrastructure, data protection safeguards and digital audit trails can improve transparency, strengthen accountability and create clearer records of procurement decisions and transactions.
Digital procurement systems can also support more efficient compliance management, reduce opportunities for manipulation and make it easier for stakeholders to monitor procurement processes.
Technology and procurement converge
The session further examined the increasing intersection between technology, regulation and public contracting.
As government procurement becomes more digital, legal and regulatory professionals will need greater understanding of emerging technologies, data protection, digital contracts and procurement risks.
Speakers noted that lawyers have an important role to play in ensuring regulatory compliance, drafting technology and procurement contracts, managing risks and resolving disputes arising from increasingly digital public-sector transactions.
The session brought together key stakeholders from Nigeria’s technology, procurement and legal sectors, including BPP Director-General Adebowale Adedokun; National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) Director-General Kashifu Abdullahi; Lagos State Public Procurement Agency Director-General Fatai Idowu Onafowote; Kaduna State Public Procurement Authority Director-General Engr. Sanusi Aminu Yero; and Andrew Osemedua Odom, SAN.
The session was coordinated by Dr Faith Amarachi Okpara, Vice Chair of the Data Privacy Lawyers Association of Nigeria.
Building a stronger domestic innovation ecosystem
Ekeh’s position reflects a broader debate around how Nigeria can use public spending to support domestic technology development without compromising transparency, value for money or procurement standards.
For Nigerian innovators, access to government contracts can provide more than immediate revenue. A credible domestic market can help businesses validate their products, attract investment, create jobs, develop intellectual property and build the capacity required to compete internationally.
The Nigeria First Policy could therefore serve as an economic development tool if backed by effective regulatory enforcement, transparent procurement processes and strong digital infrastructure.
The objective, ultimately, is not to shield Nigerian companies from competition but to create conditions in which capable indigenous businesses can develop sufficient scale and capacity to compete on a global stage.
For entrepreneurs developing solutions to local challenges, stronger implementation of the policy could provide the market confidence needed to continue investing in innovation, manufacturing, talent development and technology-driven businesses.
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