By Oluwakemi Kindness
The Federal Government says it is using digital technology to reduce regulatory bottlenecks that undermine businesses, describing excessive regulation as a major drag on Nigeria’s economy.
Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Senator John Owan-Enoh, stated this at the weekend in Abuja at the launch of the Digital Standards Platform (DSP), saying the initiative will simplify regulatory compliance, improve Nigeria’s ease of doing business and strengthen the country’s competitiveness.
Enoh said the platform will enable businesses to access Nigerian Industrial Standards (NIS), verify certificates and obtain compliance information online, eliminating physical paperwork and lengthy administrative procedures that have slowed enterprise growth.
He argued that Nigeria loses more to regulatory inefficiencies than it generates from much of its internally generated revenue.
“What Nigeria loses to regulation is more than what it gets in terms of almost all our combined internally generated revenue,” Enoh said.
“Whatever we can do by way of digitalisation to reduce over-regulation and make it seamless will be doing quite a lot to help our country.”
The minister said every regulatory process moved online would improve Nigeria’s ease of doing business, reduce compliance costs and encourage investment, particularly for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
“Every form that no longer needs to be filed in person, every standard that no longer needs to be purchased across a counter, every certificate that can be be verified at the click of a button these are the quiet reforms that compound into competitiveness,” he said.
Enoh described the Digital Standards Platform as part of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda to build a digitally enabled economy and deepen implementation of the Nigeria First Policy.
He said promoting Made-in-Nigeria products must go beyond patriotism and be backed by internationally recognised quality standards.
“Made-in-Nigeria should be a mark of pride, not just an act of patriotism. When we promote Made-in-Nigeria goods and services, we must also promote Nigerian quality standards,” he said.
The minister warned that Nigeria risks becoming a dumping ground under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) if locally manufactured products fail to meet acceptable quality standards.
“If our goods are not competitive and are not qualitative, what it means is that we soon become a dumping ground,” he warned.
Enoh also urged government agencies to work together instead of operating in silos, describing the collaboration between the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) as a model for public sector reform.
“For government, whenever agencies collaborate, it is an indication of progress,” he said.
A major policy announced at the event is that the Nigerian Industrial Standards (NIS) Attestation Certificate, obtainable through the Digital Standards Platform, is now mandatory for all Federal Government procurement involving goods, works and services covered by applicable Nigerian Industrial Standards.
Director-General of the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), Dr. Adebowale Adedokun, said the certificate will now form part of bid documentation and evaluation requirements, providing an objective basis for verifying compliance before contracts are awarded.
He said the platform will be integrated into the Bureau’s electronic marketplace, enabling ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) to identify, compare prices and procure verified Made-in-Nigeria products and services that comply with approved national standards.
According to him, procuring entities will be able to specify applicable standards during procurement planning, while contractors and suppliers will have clear technical requirements to meet before submitting bids.
Adedokun said the reform would improve transparency, reduce manipulation in public procurement and ensure government gets better value for public funds.
“Preference without proof is patronage. Preference anchored on verifiable standards is sound policy, and the Digital Standards Platform provides that proof,” he said.
He urged procuring entities to make standards the starting point for procurement while encouraging manufacturers, contractors and suppliers to certify their products and use quality as a competitive advantage.
The BPP boss added that the initiative would expand opportunities for Nigerian manufacturers, especially MSMEs, by giving them easier access to the Federal Government procurement market.
Earlier, Director-General of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Dr. Ifeanyi Okeke, said the platform marks Nigeria’s transition to a fully digital standards ecosystem.
He said businesses, researchers, procurement professionals and consumers can now search Nigerian Industrial Standards digitally, verify certified products and manufacturers, access conformity assessment services and obtain compliance information online without physical paperwork.
Okeke said users will also be able to purchase selected internationally recognised standards through the platform at discounts of up to 35 per cent, reducing compliance costs for manufacturers, researchers and public institutions.
He added that the platform’s certified products and certified manufacturers directories would strengthen consumer confidence, improve procurement due diligence and help eliminate counterfeit, unsafe and substandard products from the Nigerian market.
According to him, integrating the platform with the public procurement system would ensure quality specifications are embedded from the planning stage of every government contract, promoting transparency, accountability and value for money.
The Digital Standards Platform was jointly developed by the Standards Organisation of Nigeria and the Bureau of Public Procurement to digitise access to standards, certification and quality assurance services while supporting procurement reform, industrial growth and a more competitive business environment in Nigeria.
