News Investigators/ The Federal Government says the newly unveiled Digital Standards Platform will enhance confidence in Nigerian-made goods by ensuring only certified and standardised products are procured with public funds.
Adebowale Adedokun, the Director-General, Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), said on Friday in Abuja that the platform was designed to support the implementation of the Federal Government’s Nigeria First Policy.
Mr Adedokun, who spoke on the sidelines of the unveiling of the Digital Standards Platform, said it would promote quality, transparency and value for money in public procurement.
He said the government being the country’s largest buyer of goods and services, had a responsibility to ensure that products purchased by Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) met approved quality standards.
According to him, all MDAs will be required to verify suppliers and products on the digital platform before procurement to ensure that only certified goods are purchased.
“If they do not have the required identification and certification on the platform, no government agency should procure products from such suppliers,” he said.
Mr Adedokun said the initiative would improve the quality of locally manufactured products, encourage compliance with national and international standards and strengthen public confidence in Nigerian goods.
The BPP boss added that the platform would also promote fair pricing by reducing unjustified price disparities in government procurement, 0ppppppwhile ensuring that products delivered met expected quality and performance standards.
He said the initiative was part of the phased implementation of the Nigeria First Policy, which had already covered the automobile and food sectors and was now being extended to product standardisation.
“At the end of the day, it is about one Nigeria, one standard, one patronage and one trust,” he said.
Also speaking, Jobson Ewalefoh, the Director-General of the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), described the platform as a major Public-Private Partnership (PPP) initiative that would improve access to reliable information on certified Nigerian products.
Mr Ewalefoh said the digital platform would enable users to verify in real time the authenticity, origin and certification status of products before purchase.
He said the project implemented through a partnership involving the BPP, the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and a private-sector partner- Goringo Concept Limited, demonstrated how PPPs could be deployed to improve public service delivery.
According to him, recent reforms by President Bola Tinubu, including the approval threshold for small-scale PPP projects, have simplified approval processes and empowered MDAs to execute similar initiatives without unnecessary delays.
He said the reforms had reduced entry barriers for private-sector participation and encouraged faster delivery of government projects.
Mr Ewalefoh said the platform would help government save costs, improve quality assurance, promote Nigerian-made products and ensure that only standardised goods were procured with public funds.
He, however, stressed that effective compliance and enforcement would be critical to the success of the initiative.
“It should not be Nigeria First on paper but Nigeria First in action,” he said.
Samson Duna, the Director-General, Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute (NBRRI), said the platform would contribute to efforts to reduce building collapse by helping users identify certified construction materials.
Prof. Duna said investigations by the institute had consistently identified the use of substandard construction materials as one of the major causes of building collapse in the country.
He said the digital platform would enable builders, contractors and the public to verify whether construction materials met required standards before purchase and use.
According to him, reinforcing steel, one of the major materials used to reinforce concrete construction, has remained a concern because many products in the market do not meet approved standards.
“The platform will enable anyone intending to build to identify brands of construction materials that meet the required standards before putting them to use,” he said.
Prof. Duna expressed confidence that increased awareness and easier verification of certified materials would improve compliance with quality standards and enhance safety in the construction sector.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the platform was developed by the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, SON, BPP and Goringo Consult Limited.
NAN