Enoh Blames Poor Quality for Weak Patronage of Made-in-Nigeria Goods

• SON, BPP Tighten quality standards for public procurement with new digital platform

James Emejo and Deborah Adekoya in Abuja

Minister of State for Industry, Senator John Enoh, has attributed the weak local patronage of Made-in-Nigeria products to concerns over quality assurance. 

He spoke at the unveiling of the Digital Standards Platform (DSP), an initiative by the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), in Abuja over the weekend.

DSP aimed to strengthen product standards, restore consumer confidence and reposition Nigerian manufacturers for domestic and global markets.

The minister noted that consumers would naturally embrace locally manufactured goods once they consistently meet acceptable quality standards, stressing that the era when Nigerians were expected to buy local products merely out of patriotism must give way to one where quality becomes the deciding factor.

He maintained that quality remaind the foundation of industrialisation and national competitiveness, noting that no economy can rise above the standard of what it produces.

According to him, DSP represented a major shift in the country’s quality infrastructure by giving businesses, especially micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), digital access to Nigerian Industrial Standards, certification services and compliance tools that were previously difficult, costly and time-consuming to obtain.

Enoh said standards remained the “language of trust” in every economy, explaining that confidence among consumers, investors and trading partners depends largely on the credibility of products and services.

He said the platform would eliminate bureaucratic bottlenecks that had discouraged many businesses from complying with standards while making quality assurance a competitive business advantage rather than a regulatory burden.

The minister said the initiative aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and the Nigeria First Policy, insisting that local products can only enjoy sustained patronage if they are demonstrably superior in quality.

He said, “Quality is what turns patronage into preference,” stressing that Nigerians should choose locally manufactured goods because they meet globally recognised standards and not merely because they are produced within the country.

He added that integrating the platform into the public procurement system would enable government institutions to verify standards before awarding contracts, ensuring greater value for money, durability and accountability in public spending.

Enoh further noted that easier digital access to standards would improve Nigeria’s ease of doing business, remove unnecessary administrative hurdles and prepare local manufacturers to compete effectively under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

Earlier, Director General, SON, Dr. Ifeanyi Okeke, described the platform as a landmark digital gateway designed to modernise the country’s quality infrastructure and deepen compliance across industries.

He said businesses, researchers, procurement professionals and consumers would now have seamless online access to Nigerian Industrial Standards, conformity assessment services, certified manufacturers and certified products through a single platform.

According to him, the initiative addresses longstanding challenges faced by entrepreneurs who previously struggled to obtain standards and certification information, particularly those operating outside major commercial centres.

Okeke said SON had also negotiated arrangements that would enable Nigerians purchase internationally recognised standards through the platform at discounts of up to 35 per cent, significantly lowering compliance costs for manufacturers and researchers.

He explained that the platform’s certified products and manufacturers directories would strengthen consumer protection by enabling buyers and procurement agencies to verify the authenticity and certification status of products before making purchases.

The SON boss said the development would improve market transparency, encourage patronage of compliant local manufacturers and help eliminate counterfeit, substandard and unsafe products from Nigerian markets.

Also speaking, Director General of BPP, Dr. Adebowale Adedokun, said the integration of the Digital Standards Platform into the federal procurement system would fundamentally change how government spends public funds.

He described public procurement as one of government’s strongest economic policy instruments, stressing that every public contract should drive industrial development, create jobs and promote local manufacturing.

Adedokun disclosed that Nigerian Industrial Standards would soon be fully integrated into the Bureau’s electronic marketplace, enabling procuring entities to identify and purchase verified standards-compliant Made-in-Nigeria goods and services.

He announced that the Nigerian Industrial Standards (NIS) Attestation Certificate obtained through the Digital Standards Platform would become a mandatory bid document and evaluation requirement for all federal government procurement involving goods, works and services covered by applicable NIS.

According to him, the requirement would provide an objective basis for evaluating bids, reduce procurement manipulation, strengthen transparency and ensure that only certified products and services are supplied to government.

He said the partnership between BPP and SON would transform public expenditure into a powerful instrument for supporting local industries, retaining value within the Nigerian economy and ensuring that every public Naira delivers quality infrastructure, products and services.

Adedokun added that the collaboration demonstrated how coordinated government institutions can simplify regulatory processes, improve service delivery and accelerate national economic transformation through common standards and shared digital platforms.