Zinox chair demands BPP sanctions for MDAs flouting local content laws

Leo Stan Ekeh, chairman of the Zinox Group, has called on the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) to impose sanctions on ministries, departments and agencies that fail to comply with rules requiring preference for Nigerian companies in public contracts.

Speaking at the Nigerian Bar Association’s 66th annual general conference, Ekeh described the Nigeria First Policy as a major protection for creatively ambitious local entrepreneurs, adding that the policy’s impact will remain limited unless enforcement becomes stricter.

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The conference, held under the theme “Beyond Limits,” featured a high-level session on e-commerce and procurement. The discussion focused on transforming public contracting through digital systems, transparency and the development of local capacity.

Ekeh used the platform to argue that Nigeria cannot build a sustainable digital economy if indigenous businesses are repeatedly set aside in favour of foreign alternatives.

He therefore called for a clear policy framework that requires government ministries, departments and agencies to prioritise homegrown goods, services and innovations wherever local capacity exists. At the same time, he stressed that these local offerings must still meet the standards needed for global competitiveness.

For Ekeh, the value of the Nigeria First Policy goes beyond shielding local firms from competition. It can create a reliable domestic market for Nigerian innovators. It can reduce the country’s heavy reliance on imported technology and it can keep more economic value inside Nigeria.

By giving credible indigenous businesses greater opportunities to win public contracts, government spending can become a powerful driver of investment, innovation, skills development and sustainable job creation, he said.

A critical issue that emerged from the conversation was enforcement. Policies may set out preferences for local capacity, but their real effect depends on whether institutions follow the rules. Ekeh therefore urged stronger action, including appropriate sanctions by the Bureau of Public Procurement against any entities that ignore applicable procurement requirements.

Without such measures, the policy risks becoming little more than a statement of intent. Ministries and agencies that continue to favour foreign suppliers even when suitable local options exist undermine the goals of building national capacity and supporting ambitious entrepreneurs.

The session also examined the growing role of digital systems in public contracting. E-procurement platforms, government cloud infrastructure, data protection safeguards and digital audit trails are becoming essential tools. These systems can improve transparency, accountability and efficiency. They can reduce opportunities for manipulation and create clearer records of procurement decisions and transactions.

Participants noted that digital tools alone are not enough. They must operate within a framework that deliberately supports local capacity. When procurement processes are transparent and rules favour Nigerian solutions where they meet the required standard, the system can channel significant public funds toward domestic innovators.

The legal profession has an important part to play in this shift, speakers said. Lawyers increasingly need to understand the links between technology, procurement and regulation. They draft contracts, ensure compliance, manage procurement risks and handle emerging mechanisms for resolving disputes. As public contracting becomes more digital and more focused on local content, legal practitioners must keep pace with the changes.

The session brought together several senior figures in Nigeria’s procurement and technology sectors. They included Adebowale Adedokun, director general of the Bureau of Public Procurement; Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, director general and chief executive officer of the National Information Technology Development Agency; Fatai Idowu Onafowote, director general of the Lagos State Public Procurement Agency; Sanusi Aminu Yero, director general of the Kaduna State Public Procurement Authority; and Andrew Osemedua Odom, SAN. The session was coordinated by Faith Amarachi Okpara, vice chair of the Data Privacy Lawyers Association of Nigeria.

Ekeh’s intervention fitted the conference theme of moving beyond limits. Nigeria’s next economic frontier will not be reached simply by consuming technology developed elsewhere, he suggested. The country needs to build, innovate, manufacture, protect intellectual property, develop talent and create an environment where ambitious entrepreneurs can compete and scale.

Properly implemented, the Nigeria First Policy could become more than a procurement preference. It could serve as an economic development instrument and give Nigerian businesses the confidence to invest, innovate and build for the future.

For entrepreneurs who have spent years creating solutions to Nigerian problems, that assurance is important. Protecting local capacity is not a rejection of global competition, Ekeh indicated. Rather, it is about ensuring that Nigerian businesses become strong enough to compete within it.

The discussion highlighted a practical tension. Government agencies often face pressure to deliver projects quickly and to the highest technical standard. In some cases, foreign suppliers may appear to offer ready-made solutions. Yet consistently choosing those options when local capacity exists can lock the country into long-term dependence and limit the growth of domestic industry.

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Stronger enforcement by the Bureau of Public Procurement would send a clear signal. Agencies that follow the rules would be able to point to successful local partnerships. Those that ignore them would face consequences. Over time, this could encourage more investment in local capabilities and raise the quality of what Nigerian firms can offer.

Digital systems can support this process by making procurement decisions more visible and easier to audit. When records are clear and preferences for local content are properly applied, both the public and the private sector can track progress. Transparency reduces the space for discretionary choices that sideline capable Nigerian companies.

The conversation at the NBA conference underscored that policy statements alone are insufficient. Implementation, compliance and sanctions matter. Ekeh’s call for the Bureau of Public Procurement to act against non-compliant ministries, departments and agencies places responsibility firmly on the institutions charged with overseeing public contracting.

If those institutions respond with consistent enforcement, the Nigeria First Policy could help turn public spending into a catalyst for broader economic gains. Local innovators would gain a more predictable market. Skills would develop through real contracts. Investment would follow opportunity. And Nigeria would move closer to building the digital and industrial capacity needed for long-term growth.

“Preference for local content where capacity exists must be matched by real consequences for those who ignore the rules. Without that, the protection for creatively ambitious entrepreneurs will remain incomplete,” Ekeh posited.

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