The Federal Government has launched the Digital Standards Platform (DSP), a technology-driven initiative designed to integrate Nigerian Industrial Standards into public procurement and strengthen the implementation of the Nigeria First Policy.

The platform, jointly developed by the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) and the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), is expected to provide digital access to national standards, compliance tools, certification services and verified information on locally manufactured products, while making quality compliance a central requirement in government procurement.

Speaking at the official launch in Abuja yesterday, the Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Senator John Owan Enoh, said the platform represents a major milestone in Nigeria’s drive to build a competitive industrial economy anchored on quality, digital innovation and local content.

Describing standards as the silent architecture of prosperity, the minister said no nation can attain industrial greatness without producing goods and services that consistently meet recognised quality benchmarks.

He noted that the Digital Standards Platform removes longstanding barriers that made access to Nigerian Industrial Standards cumbersome for manufacturers and entrepreneurs, particularly micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

“The platform places the full library of our national standards, compliance tools and certification services within reach of anyone with a connection and a commitment to quality,” he said.

According to him, the initiative supports President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and the Nigeria First Policy by ensuring that locally produced goods compete on quality rather than patriotism alone.

“Quality is what turns patronage into preference. When Nigerian products consistently meet Nigerian standards, consumers will choose them because they are reliable and competitive,” he said.

The minister added that integrating Nigerian Industrial Standards into the BPP’s electronic marketplace for Made-in-Nigeria products would enable procuring entities, contractors and consultants to identify, compare, benchmark prices and procure verified standards-compliant products with greater confidence.

He said the initiative would ensure that every naira of public expenditure delivers quality, durability and value for money while also reducing bureaucratic bottlenecks through digital access to standards, certification and compliance verification.

The Director-General of the Bureau of Public Procurement, Dr. Adebowale Adedokun, described public procurement as one of government’s most powerful economic policy instruments, saying every public contract should strengthen local industry and promote national development.

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

According to him, the new requirement will provide an objective basis for verifying compliance, improve transparency and ensure that only products and services meeting national quality standards are supplied under government contracts.

Adedokun explained that once the platform is fully integrated into the BPP e-Marketplace, procurement officers will be able to determine applicable standards at the planning stage, while contractors and suppliers will have clear guidance on product specifications before bidding.

He said the reform would reduce ambiguity in procurement, promote fair competition based on quality and price, and create larger market opportunities for Nigerian manufacturers, especially MSMEs.

“This is more than a platform. It is a promise that Nigeria will buy Nigerian, build with Nigerian and rise on Nigerian standards,” he said.

On his part, the Director-General of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria, Dr Ifeanyi Okeke, said the platform was developed to eliminate the delays and paperwork previously associated with accessing standards and conformity assessment services.

He explained that the Digital Standards Platform serves as Nigeria’s unified digital gateway to the country’s quality infrastructure by providing searchable access to Nigerian Industrial Standards, certified products and standards-related resources.

Okeke said the platform also creates a common reference point for procurement officers and contractors by embedding standards into procurement from the planning stage, thereby improving quality assurance, transparency and accountability in public spending.

He noted that easier access to standards would lower compliance costs for MSMEs, helping them formalise operations, obtain certification and compete more effectively within the African Continental Free Trade Area and international markets.
Also speaking, Director-General of the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), Dr Jobson Ewalefoh, said the Digital Standards Platform is one of the first projects delivered under the Commission’s revised Public-Private Partnership guidelines.

He commended Goringo Consult Limited, the concessionaire responsible for delivering the platform, describing the project as evidence that well-structured public-private partnerships can produce world-class digital infrastructure.

Ewalefoh said the initiative would improve the quality of infrastructure projects by ensuring that goods, works and services delivered through concessions and PPP arrangements comply with nationally recognised standards.

The platform is a significant reform that aligns procurement, industrial policy and digital governance while promoting transparency, local manufacturing and improved competitiveness for Nigerian products in domestic and international markets.