The Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise (CPPE) has called on the Federal Government to give legislative backing to the Nigeria First Policy, stressing that turning it into law is vital for promoting economic self-reliance and industrial development.

Chief Executive Officer of CPPE, Dr. Muda Yusuf, made the call in a statement on Sunday, noting that Nigeria has reached a defining point in its economic journey that requires deliberate prioritisation of local production and content across all sectors.
Yusuf said codifying the policy into law would ensure consistency, enforceability, and sustainability, while also boosting investor confidence and insulating the economy from external shocks.

“When local content policies are backed by legislation, institutional structures, and fiscal incentives, they deliver measurable and sustainable results,” the statement read.
The think tank observed that past executive orders and procurement policies lacked legislative force and enforcement mechanisms, resulting in weak implementation.
It, therefore, urged the government to establish robust institutions and monitoring systems to guarantee compliance and minimise policy leakages.

“The government must go beyond policy declarations by embedding the Nigeria First principle into the country’s legal and institutional frameworks,” CPPE stated, warning that without such measures, the policy could end up as another unfulfilled initiative.

Announced earlier this year by President Bola Tinubu’s administration, the Nigeria First Policy prohibits Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) from purchasing foreign goods and services where viable local alternatives exist. The initiative aims to boost domestic production and reform government procurement practices.

Similarly, the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) had advocated the introduction of annual local content benchmarks in public procurement, particularly in sectors such as automobiles, textiles, pharmaceuticals, and agro-processing.
CPPE maintained that legislative backing would position Nigeria for industrial revival and strengthen its economic resilience in the face of global uncertainties.