The Federal Government’s Nigeria First Policy could fundamentally reshape Nigeria’s digital economy by transforming public procurement from a routine administrative process into a strategic tool for stimulating indigenous innovation, investment and job creation, Chairman of Zinox Group, Leo Stan Ekeh, has said.
Ekeh made the submission at the Nigerian Bar Association’s 66th Annual General Conference, themed “Beyond Limits,” during a high-level session on “E-Commerce and Procurement: Transforming Public Contracting through Digital Systems, Transparency and Local Capacity Development.”
He argued that the greatest value of the policy lies not merely in giving preference to Nigerian companies, but in creating the market confidence required for ambitious local entrepreneurs to invest in solutions capable of competing globally.
According to him, a sustainable digital economy cannot emerge where indigenous businesses are routinely displaced by foreign alternatives, particularly in areas where credible local capacity already exists.
He therefore advocated a procurement framework that requires Ministries, Departments and Agencies to prioritise Nigerian-made goods, services and technologies where appropriate, without compromising quality, standards or competitiveness.
Ekeh maintained that government remains one of the largest potential markets for indigenous innovation and that directing a greater proportion of public expenditure towards credible Nigerian businesses could have a multiplier effect across the economy.
Such an approach, he noted, would encourage companies to invest in research and development, expand their operations, build technical capacity, employ more Nigerians and develop solutions tailored to local challenges.
Beyond supporting individual businesses, the policy could also help reduce Nigeria’s excessive dependence on imported technology and ensure that a greater share of the value generated by public expenditure remains within the domestic economy.
The conference session also highlighted the growing importance of technology in making public procurement more transparent and accountable. Digital procurement platforms, government cloud infrastructure, data protection mechanisms and electronic audit trails were identified as critical components of a modern contracting ecosystem.
When properly implemented, such systems can strengthen oversight, improve efficiency, create verifiable records of procurement decisions and reduce opportunities for manipulation.
The transformation also places new demands on the legal profession. Lawyers, speakers observed, must develop deeper expertise in technology, data protection, procurement regulation and digital contracting to effectively advise clients, manage compliance obligations, mitigate risks and resolve emerging disputes.
The session brought together senior stakeholders, including Dr. Adebowale Adedokun, Director General of the Bureau of Public Procurement; Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, DG/CEO of NITDA; Fatai Idowu Onafowote, Director General of the Lagos State Public Procurement Agency; Engr. Sanusi Aminu Yero, Director General of the Kaduna State Public Procurement Authority; and Andrew Osemedua Odom, SAN.
It was coordinated by Dr. Faith Amarachi Okpara, Vice Chair of the Data Privacy Lawyers Association of Nigeria.
A major concern arising from the discussions, however, was the gap that can exist between policy formulation and implementation.
Ekeh consequently stressed the need for effective enforcement, urging the Bureau of Public Procurement to apply appropriate sanctions against entities that violate applicable procurement requirements.
For him, the success of the Nigeria First Policy will ultimately be measured not by the strength of the policy document, but by the extent to which it changes procurement behaviour and creates genuine opportunities for competent Nigerian enterprises.
The argument aligns closely with the NBA conference theme of “Beyond Limits.” For Nigeria to move beyond its current economic and technological limitations, Ekeh suggested that the country must evolve from being primarily a consumer of imported technology to becoming a stronger producer, developer and owner of intellectual property.
That transition requires deliberate investment in local enterprises, talent development, innovation, manufacturing and systems that allow Nigerian businesses to grow to scale.
Properly implemented, the Nigeria First Policy could therefore extend far beyond procurement preference. It could become a deliberate instrument of economic development, providing indigenous businesses with the market access and confidence needed to innovate, expand and compete internationally.
For Nigeria’s growing community of entrepreneurs developing solutions to local problems, that assurance could prove decisive. Protecting local capacity, as Ekeh’s intervention suggests, does not mean insulating Nigerian businesses from global competition; rather, it means giving them a stronger foundation from which to enter and compete in the global marketplace.