The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) has thrown its support behind President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s recently announced “Nigeria First Policy,” describing it as a strategic leap toward national industrialization and long-term economic stability.
In a statement released on Sunday, NASENI’s Executive Vice Chairman and CEO, Khalil Suleiman Halilu, praised the President’s directive to prioritize locally made goods in government procurement. According to him, this move will energize local industries and place Nigerian entrepreneurs, manufacturers, and technology innovators at the heart of national development.
“With the President’s directive to the Bureau of Public Procurement to favor local suppliers, we are entering a new era where Nigerian-made products will finally receive the recognition and market access they deserve,” Halilu stated. “Government is the largest buyer in the economy — this policy ensures that local businesses benefit from that scale.”
Calling the initiative both “bold and visionary,” Halilu noted that NASENI has long been an advocate for local content, having developed various Nigerian-made technologies — from electric vehicles and power solutions to precision agriculture tools. These, he said, are proof that local ingenuity can meet global standards when given proper support.
NASENI’s ongoing “Made-in-Nigeria Strategic Focus Group” sessions, held in states like Lagos, Delta, Kano, and Ogun, reflect the agency’s hands-on approach to building grassroots capacity. The initiative brings together stakeholders across sectors to examine consumer behavior, regulatory challenges, and innovation bottlenecks — all in service of strengthening trust in local products.
“We are prepared to lead from the front,” Halilu declared. “But this is also a challenge to our local producers. It’s not enough to benefit from government support — product quality, reliability, and innovation must be priorities. Nigerian consumers deserve the best.”
President Tinubu’s policy charges the BPP with enforcing new procurement standards and maintaining an official register of qualified Nigerian suppliers — a move that could reshape how contracts are awarded and how resources flow through the economy.
Halilu concluded by reaffirming NASENI’s readiness to serve as a key enabler of the President’s agenda. “With the right framework and continued investment, Nigeria can rise as a hub for innovation and industrial excellence — powered by Nigerian minds, machines, and materials.”
