By Obaike Odihue
The Federal Government has slammed a ban on importation of goods and services by Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), industries and other businnesses, especially where alternatives are available locally.
To that extent, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, has been directed to prepare an Executive Order to be issued by President Bola Tinubu in order to give force to the decision.
Briefing newsmen on the outcome of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting held on Monday at the Council Chamber of the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, Abuja, Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, described the resolution as a major shift in the way businesses will be conducted in the country going forward.
According to the Minister, where no viable option is available, a written waiver from the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) should be obtained and contacts must include technology transfer before such importation would be allowed.
He said the proposal which was made by President Bola Bola Tinubu aims to ensure that the country does not continue to importation goods and services that it has the capacity to produce locally.
The resolutions taken at the FEC meeting in that regard, according to Idris, were: “No procurement of foreign goods or services already available locally shall be shall proceed without justification And a written waiver from the BPP, I want to take that again, no procurement of foreign goods or services already available locally shall proceed without justification, and the written waiver from BPP.
“Where no viable local option exists, contracts must include provisions for technology transfer, local production or skills development, by way of example, the provision of Portal allocations under the sugar master plan should take into consideration participants backward integration plans and investment in Nigeria and ensure compliance with the Master Plan. This a major decision taken by the Federal executive Council today.
“The BPP has been directed to revise and enforce procurement guidlines to prioritize locally made goods and homegrown solutions. It has also been directed to create what is called local content compliance framework for all government procurements.
“The BPP has also been directed to maintain a register of high quality Nigeria manufacturers and service providers regularly engaged by the federal government. Number four, the BPP, has also been directed to deploy all procurement officers from the MDAs, all the procurement officers posted to MDAs will be reverted to the Bureau of public procurement as a line agency without jeopardizing possibility of efficiency.
“That the MDAs have also been directed to immediately conduct an audit of all procurement plans and submit revised versions in line with these directives.
“Breaches will attract sanctions, including cancelation of procurement processes by such MDAS, and indeed disciplinary action against responsible officers.
“This direction, like I mentioned earlier, the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation has been directed to prepare an executive order to give full legal effect to this resolutions of the Federal Executive Council.”
He added: This is a major shift in government policy. It puts Nigeria – not foreign companies, not imports – at the heart of our national development.”
