Engineer Oyedele Hakeem Alao, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC in Oyo state and former governorship aspirant of the Party, has commended President Bola Tinubu for launching the “Nigeria First” policy, which prioritizes the use of locally made goods and services in all government procurement.
Alao in a press release from his media office described the move as long overdue, noting that previous administrations failed to implement similar measures despite calls from stakeholders following the 2016 oil price crash.
Alao stated that under this new policy, federal ministries, departments, and agencies are required to give preference to Nigerian products and expertise when spending public funds.
“The policy bans the procurement of foreign goods or services already available locally unless a waiver is granted by the Bureau of Public Procurement.”
Alao emphasized that this initiative is expected to stimulate economic growth, create jobs, and support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
He urged the government to establish a presidential committee to oversee the policy’s implementation and recommended the allocation of special funds to assist SMEs and manufacturers in scaling their operations.
Additionally, Alao praised President Tinubu’s reforms in the oil and gas sector, particularly the appointment of Engr. Bayo Bashir Ojulari as Group CEO of NNPC.
He expressed optimism that these reforms, alongside the Nigeria First policy, would drive economic transformation and address challenges such as gas supply to power generation companies, ultimately boosting the power sector and overall economic performance.