₦airaland Forum

President Bola Tinubu has ordered a ban on importation of foreign goods, especially those that can be produced locally in Nigeria.

Tinubu also placed a caveat on expatriates coming into Nigeria to execute jobs, which local contractors and artisans can undertake, unless there is convincing justification for it, including express permission from the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP).

Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, made the disclosure, shortly thereafter the Federal Executive Council meeting chaired by the President at the Council chambers of the presidential villa on Monday.

According to Idris, Tinubu in a landmark decision which is aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s domestic economy and promoting local content, approved a sweeping new policy framework tagged the Renewed Hope Nigeria First Policy.

Idris described the policy as a bold shift in the country’s economic approach.

He said it mirrors U.S. President Donald Trump’s “America First” doctrine.


The Information Minister also noted that the policy places Nigeria at the center of all public procurement and business activity, with a strong emphasis on empowering local industries and reducing dependency on foreign imports.

“This policy seeks to foster a new business culture that is bold, confident, and very Nigerian,” Idris said.

“It aims at making government investment directly benefit our people and industries by changing how we spend, how we procure, and how we build our economy,” he added.


The minister disclosed that the Attorney General of the Federation has been directed to draft an Executive Order to give full legal effect to the new framework.

He further clarified that the Nigeria First policy is expected to become the cornerstone of the administration’s economic strategy, especially as the government pushes forward with its industrialisation agenda and import-substitution goals.

According to Idris, the following decisions were approved by the Council and will be enforced immediately: The Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) is to revise and enforce procurement rules that prioritise Nigerian-made goods and homegrown solutions across all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).


He said the BPP will create a comprehensive compliance mechanism to ensure all government procurements adhere to local content requirements.

A regularly updated database of high-quality Nigerian suppliers will be maintained by the BPP and used as a reference for all procurement decisions, he noted while briefing State House Correspondents.

He said procurement officers currently deployed to various MDAs will be reverted to the BPP to ensure compliance and reduce undue influence or corruption.

According to him, no MDA will be allowed to procure foreign goods or services already available locally without a written waiver from the BPP.

The Information Minister also insisted that where foreign contracts are unavoidable, they must include provisions for technology transfer, local production, or capacity development in Nigeria.

“All MDAs are to immediately review and resubmit their procurement plans to align with the new policy directives.

“Breaches will result in disciplinary action and possible cancellation of the procurement process,” he noted.

The minister cited Nigeria’s sugar industry as an example of local capacity being neglected.

“We continue to import sugar despite the existence of the Nigerian Sugar Council and several local producers. This policy will change that,” he said.

He added that moving forward, [b]“Contractors will no longer be mere intermediaries sourcing foreign goods while Nigerian factories lie idle. Government money must now work for t[/b]he Nigerian people.”

The Nigeria First policy comes amid economic reforms being pushed by the Tinubu administration, including subsidy removals, a new foreign exchange regime, and efforts to restore investor confidence.

By making local content central to government spending, the administration hopes to drive job creation, industrial growth, and sustainable economic development.

While the policy will likely face implementation challenges and resistance from entrenched procurement interests, officials say the administration is determined to enforce compliance at all levels.

“This is a major shift in government policy. It puts Nigeria – not foreign companies, not imports – at the heart of our national development,” the minister said.

The Renewed Hope Nigeria First Policy is expected to take effect as soon as the Executive Order is signed by President Tinubu.

surgical:
This is a knee jack approach it will not work just like subsidy removal
A well planned policy is what delivers not just making policies on impulse
Olodo president and olodo cabinet
Imposition of tariff would have been better than outright ban
He is going back to buhari policies he earlier condemned
He is even managing flotation of exchange rate now,I am surprised he no longer believes in market forces to do the job
After he has recked havoc on the economy

malali:
What are you banning ?

Do you have 100% control of your borders ?

Nigeria has over 1,400 illegal routes alongside 84 approved border posts,
the most porous borders are those shared with Niger, Cameroon, Benin, and Chad ?

Can you prevent smuggling through these borders ? If not this can never be enforced.

DomPerignon:
Any smuggler that wants to bring in any contraband goods will have to do so without sourcing fx from CBN and risks not only having their goods confiscated but also a lengthy jail time.

Contraband goods on the shelves of retail outlets will also be confiscated.

So go ahead and snuggle if you can.

Senioreddy:
For a staggering economy, this is a step in the right direction I must say. However, the major problem here is implementation and the measures put in place to quell any negative impact that may come this policy

malali:
So cute.
They will bring in the sugar in 100kg bags.
They will repack them in ordinary nylons (see through)
They will sell as retail.
We have smugglers that make billions from smuggling, only way to prevent this is to secure the borders.
In Switzerland you cannot bring in meat even if you drive out for a short trip. This is to protect their farmers. Its 100% enforced, they will check your groceries bag and receipt even if you are in a small private car !!

DomPerignon:
The incentive to snuggle through land borders will not be there after they confiscate the contraband goods and vehicle that was used to snuggle it and then drag you to the courts as an economic saboteur.

malali:
The same way they dragged Yahya bello to court as an economic saboteur after embezzling over 80billion naira ?

jmoore:
Hypocritical babablu bulabu who travels to France and UK many times a year to recharge.

adenigga:
Source: https://dailypost.ng/2025/05/05/tinubu-bans-importation-of-foreign-gods-unveils-new-industrialisation-policy/