The Federal Government has announced plans to begin tracking how well Ministries, Departments, and Agencies comply with the “Nigeria First” policy, which prioritizes the patronage of locally made goods and services in government operations.
According to The PUNCH, the minister of Industry, Trade, and Investment, Jumoke Oduwole, made this known during an interview on Channels Television on Thursday. She revealed that the policy has now become a key performance indicator under the Central Coordinating Delivery Unit of the Presidency.
While the policy is not new, Oduwole said it has been reinforced by President Bola Tinubu to ensure greater emphasis on local content and industrial growth.
“This is not a new directive, but a strong reminder from Mr. President that we must put Nigeria first in all procurement and investment-related decisions,” the minister said. “We are now embedding this into our performance metrics, and compliance will be tracked quarterly.”
Approved by the Federal Executive Council earlier this month, the Nigeria First policy mandates that MDAs prioritize Nigerian manufacturers, service providers, and contractors during procurement processes. Any intention to source foreign goods or services must be justified and granted a waiver by the Bureau of Public Procurement.
“We need to consume what we produce and produce what we consume,” Oduwole emphasized. “The policy is about consciously supporting local industries by default, not just in principle but in every aspect of public spending.”
She added that although the policy had been enshrined in previous frameworks, including the Business Facilitation Act, some agencies continued to sideline Nigerian businesses in favor of foreign alternatives.
The trade minister outlined three focus areas for the policy’s enforcement: prioritizing local procurement, exhausting Nigerian options before considering foreign suppliers, and streamlining regulatory and bureaucratic processes to ease local business operations.
“The government is one of the largest spenders in the economy. Therefore, it must lead by example to support domestic production and reduce reliance on imports,” she explained.
According to her, MDAs will be held accountable for their compliance levels, with performance evaluations done every quarter by the CCDU.
“We are going to measure and report the implementation. Government patronage must be accessible to Nigerian businesses through simplified procurement systems,” she added.
Oduwole concluded by saying that the renewed focus aims to attract both local and foreign investments while fostering productivity, trade, and export growth.
