*To prioritise NASENI’s tractors, tablets, surveillance drones, solar backup systems, other innovations in procurement plans of MDAs
WorldStage Newsonline– The Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) and the Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the implementation of Nigeria First Policy.
Dr Adebowale Adedokun, Director-General, BPP, during the signing in Abuja said the partnership would promote local manufacturing, technology, innovation and economic growth in Nigeria.
Nigeria First Policy promotes the use of local content and indigenous solutions to address national challenges.
Adedokun said the MoU aimed to create a structured bridge between production and procurement, prioritising locally made solutions in public service delivery, which would promote value for money in public procurement.
“Today, we are not just signing an agreement. We are building a pipeline from Nigerian innovation to national transformation.
“The MoU we sign today aims to align our policies with our priorities. It gives practical force to the Nigeria First Policy.
“NASENI’s innovations, from tractors to tablets, from surveillance drones to solar backup systems, will now be actively prioritised in the procurement plans of Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs).
“We are institutionalising a framework that makes local options not just preferable, but the default option before all others.”
He emphasised that the partnership was not an act of protectionism but an act of patriotism grounded in performance, as NASENI had invested in quality assurance with its products certified by Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and NAFDAC.
The D-G said the role of BPP was to ensure that standards were rewarded with access and that MDAs no longer needed to look outside when the best was being made in Nigeria.
He said the bureau was backing its commitment with NASENI with reform actions.
Adedokun said the BPP would integrate NASENI’s catalogue into the Nigeria Open Contracting Portal (NOCOPO), making NASENI’s offerings visible, verifiable, and measurable across all MDAs.
“Between January and June 2025 alone, NOCOPO’s enhanced price intelligence helped Nigeria save over N173 billion equivalent to 155 million Dollars, and 1.7 million Euros.
“These are not just savings on paper. They are savings that free up resources for more schools, hospitals, and support for small and medium-sized enterprises.”
He added that the BPP and NASENI had set up a Technical Working Committee to synchronise production timelines with procurement cycles, which would track outcomes, identify bottlenecks, and ensure continuous improvement.
Adedokun commended NASENI for its efforts in putting Nigerian-made innovation on the map while calling on other MDAs to prioritise their products.
“I call on other sectors beyond NASENI to also come up with their own strategy for implementing Nigeria First. NASENI has led. I expect others to follow.
“To citizens, I invite you to track these procurements on NOCOPO. Your vigilance ensures our accountability.
“We have to really realise that today’s event is such that it can change our local industries, the small and medium-scale enterprises. It can change how women and youths are viewed in terms of industrialisation.”
In his response, Mr Khalil Halilu, Executive Vice-Chairman/CEO of NASENI, said the MoU was expected to attract more investments into the country and promote local manufacturing.
Halilu said the agreement would provide priority patronage to companies that partner with NASENI.
“The MoU further strengthens our efforts, pushing the Nigerian First Policy, and we look forward to assembling more locally made items as well as promoting more industrialisation in the country.”
He noted that NASENI had received no fewer than 900 applications from companies to partner with them in the past one and a half years, because of its rebranding and new partnerships.
“This has resulted in the development of no fewer than 50 market-ready products, and we have a showroom on the Kubwa Expressway which will be showcased at our unveiling event soon.”
Halilu also emphasised the importance of protecting local industries and promoting local manufacturing to prevent Nigeria from becoming a dumping ground for imported goods.
He said the agency was working on building the biggest renewable park in the region in Keffi, and had taken a portion of Abuja Industrial Park, and Abuja Technology Village to build electronics, electronic vehicles, etc.
Halilu stated that the agency had successfully attracted technology transfer and investment into the country.
He added that the agency’s policies were gender-friendly and inclusive, with women and youth forming part of its workforce.
