By Prince Osuagwu, Hi-Tech Editor
Despite the Nigeria First Policy designed to give indigenous businesses greater opportunities in government procurement, Nigerian companies are still not getting enough protection, Chairman of Zinox Group, Dr. Leo Stan Ekeh, has warned.

Ekeh said the situation could spell doom for the economy, arguing that Nigeria cannot build a sustainable digital economy if indigenous businesses are consistently pushed aside in favour of foreign alternatives.

He spoke at the Nigerian Bar Association’s 66th Annual General Conference, held under the theme, “Beyond Limits,” during a high-level session on “E-Commerce and Procurement: Transforming Public Contracting through Digital Systems, Transparency and Local Capacity Development.”

According to him, the Nigeria First Policy should translate into deliberate preference for credible Nigerian businesses in government procurement, particularly where local capacity already exists.

He said the policy represents “a major protection for creatively ambitious Nigerian entrepreneurs,” stressing that government procurement could become one of the strongest drivers of local innovation and economic growth if properly implemented.

Ekeh advocated a framework requiring Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs, to prioritise homegrown goods, services and innovations where local capacity exists, while still maintaining standards required for global competitiveness.

He said giving indigenous businesses greater access to public contracts would create a dependable domestic market for Nigerian innovators, reduce excessive dependence on imported technology and keep more economic value within the country.

The Zinox chairman also raised concerns about enforcement, calling for stronger action against government entities that fail to comply with applicable procurement requirements.

He urged the Bureau of Public Procurement, BPP, to apply appropriate sanctions where agencies bypass qualified local providers, stressing that a policy without enforcement would have limited impact.

The session also examined the growing role of digital systems in public procurement, including e-procurement platforms, government cloud infrastructure, data protection safeguards and digital audit trails as tools for improving transparency, accountability and efficiency.

Other speakers at the session included Dr. Adebowale Adedokun, Director General of the BPP; Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, DG/CEO of NITDA; Fatai Idowu Onafowote, DG of the Lagos State Public Procurement Agency; Engr. Sanusi Aminu Yero, DG of the Kaduna State Public Procurement Authority; and Andrew Osemedua Odom, SAN.

The session was coordinated by Dr. Faith Amarachi Okpara, Vice Chair of the Data Privacy Lawyers Association of Nigeria.

For Ekeh, the issue goes beyond protecting individual companies. Nigeria must create the conditions for its businesses to build, innovate, develop talent and compete globally.

As he put it, “Nigeria cannot build a sustainable digital economy if indigenous businesses are consistently pushed aside in favour of foreign alternatives.”

He added that protecting local capacity is not a rejection of global competition, but a way of ensuring that Nigerian businesses become strong enough to compete in it.