{"id":3616,"date":"2026-08-27T22:25:12","date_gmt":"2026-08-27T22:25:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/consumerconnectng.com\/?p=3616"},"modified":"2026-08-27T23:19:17","modified_gmt":"2026-08-27T23:19:17","slug":"nigeria-first-policy-is-key-protection-for-creatively-ambitious-entrepreneurs-leo-stan-ekeh","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/consumerconnectng.com\/?p=3616","title":{"rendered":"Nigeria First Policy is key protection for creatively ambitious entrepreneurs \u2014 Leo Stan Ekeh"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong><em>*Leo Stan Ekeh, Chairman of the Zinox Group, speaks at recent Nigerian Bar Association\u2019s 66th Annual General Conference, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital, asserting the Nigeria First Policy represents a major protection for creatively ambitious Nigerian entrepreneurs, and if properly implemented, could become a procurement preference and economic development instrument for local capacity, digital transformation and smarter public procurement ecosystem<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Gbenga Kayode | ConsumerConnect<\/p>\n<p>At the recent Nigerian Bar Association\u2019s 66th Annual General Conference, held under the theme <em>\u201cBeyond Limits\u201d, <\/em>in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital, the conversation around Nigeria\u2019s economic future took a decisive turn towards local capacity, digital transformation and smarter public procurement.<\/p>\n<p>During a high-level session on <em>\u201cE-Commerce and Procurement: Transforming Public Contracting through Digital Systems, Transparency and Local Capacity Development,\u201d<\/em> Speaking at the event, Leo Stan Ekeh, Chairman of the Zinox Group, argued that the Nigeria First Policy represents a major protection for creatively ambitious Nigerian entrepreneurs.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"DDxOgga093\"><p><a href=\"https:\/\/consumerconnectng.com\/?p=3621\">IT Procurement reforms will strengthen innovation, Nigeria&#8217;s digital sovereignty &#8212; NITDA<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden;\" title=\"\u201cIT Procurement reforms will strengthen innovation, Nigeria\u2019s digital sovereignty \u2014 NITDA\u201d \u2014 Consumer Experience Is A Top Priority\" src=\"https:\/\/consumerconnectng.com\/?p=3621&amp;embed=true#?secret=LhGwIoMlWA#?secret=DDxOgga093\" data-secret=\"DDxOgga093\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Ekeh\u2019s position was anchored on a simple but important principle: Nigeria cannot build a sustainable digital economy if indigenous businesses are consistently pushed aside in favour of foreign alternatives.<\/p>\n<p>He advocated a policy framework that requires government Ministries, Departments and Agencies to prioritise homegrown goods, services and innovations where local capacity exists, while maintaining the standards required for global competitiveness.<\/p>\n<p>For Ekeh, the value of the Nigeria First Policy extends beyond protecting local companies. It can help create a dependable domestic market for Nigerian innovators, reduce excessive reliance on imported technology and channel significant economic value into the country.<\/p>\n<p>By giving credible indigenous businesses greater opportunities to participate in public procurement, government spending can become a powerful catalyst for investment, innovation, skills development and sustainable job creation.<\/p>\n<p>The discussion also examined the evolving role of digital systems in public contracting. E-procurement platforms, government cloud infrastructure, data protection safeguards and digital audit trails are increasingly important tools for improving transparency, accountability and efficiency.<\/p>\n<p>These systems can reduce opportunities for manipulation while creating clearer records of procurement decisions and transactions.<\/p>\n<p>The legal profession, speakers noted, has an equally important role to play in this transformation.<\/p>\n<p>Lawyers must increasingly understand the intersection between technology, procurement and regulation as they draft contracts, ensure compliance, manage procurement risks and navigate emerging mechanisms for resolving procurement disputes.<\/p>\n<p>The session featured other prominent voices, including Dr. Adebowale Adedokun, Director General of the Bureau of Public Procurement; Malam Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, CCIE, Director-General\/CEO of NITDA; Fatai Idowu Onafowote, Director-General of the Lagos State Public Procurement Agency; Engr. Sanusi Aminu Yero, Director-General of the Kaduna State Public Procurement Authority; and Andrew Osemedua Odom, SAN.<\/p>\n<p>The session was coordinated by Dr. Faith Amarachi Okpara, Vice-Chair of the Data Privacy Lawyers Association of Nigeria.<\/p>\n<p>A critical issue emerging from the conversation is enforcement. While policies can establish preference for local capacity, their impact ultimately depends on compliance.<\/p>\n<p>Ekeh, therefore, urged stronger enforcement, including appropriate sanctions by the Bureau of Public Procurement against entities that fail to comply with applicable procurement requirements.<\/p>\n<p>The conversation was particularly fitting for the NBA\u2019s <em>\u201cBeyond Limits\u201d<\/em> theme. Nigeria\u2019s next economic frontier will not be achieved merely by consuming technology developed elsewhere.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;It will require the country to build, innovate, manufacture, protect intellectual property, develop talent and create an environment where ambitious entrepreneurs can compete and scale.<\/p>\n<p>The Nigeria First Policy, properly implemented, could therefore, become more than a procurement preference.<\/p>\n<p>It would serve as an economic development instrument; one that gives Nigerian businesses the confidence to invest, innovate and build for the future.<\/p>\n<p>For entrepreneurs who have spent years creating solutions for Nigerian problems, that assurance matters.<\/p>\n<p>As Ekeh\u2019s intervention at the NBA conference demonstrated, protecting local capacity is not necessarily a rejection of global competition. Rather, it is about ensuring that Nigerian businesses are strong enough to compete within it.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>*Leo Stan Ekeh, Chairman of the Zinox Group, speaks at recent Nigerian Bar Association\u2019s 66th Annual General Conference, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital, asserting&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3619,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"_FSMCFIC_featured_image_caption":"Leo Stan Ekeh, Chairman of the Zinox Group (l) and Malam Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, CCIE, Director-General\/CEO of NITDA, at the recent Nigerian Bar Association\u2019s 66th Annual General Conference, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State Capital       Photo:  Zinox Group","_FSMCFIC_featured_image_nocaption":"","_FSMCFIC_featured_image_hide":"","_customify_content_layout":"","_customify_sidebar":"","_customify_page_header_display":"default","_customify_disable_header":"","_customify_disable_header_top":"","_customify_disable_header_main":"","_customify_disable_header_bottom":"","_customify_disable_page_title":"","_customify_disable_content_vertical_padding":"","_customify_disable_footer_top":"","_customify_disable_footer_main":"","_customify_disable_footer_bottom":"","_customify_breadcrumb_display":"","_customify_header_transparent_display":"default","footnotes":""},"categories":[20,3,4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3616","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-highlights","category-infoeducation","category-markets"],"featured_image_urls":{"full":["https:\/\/consumerconnectng.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Leo-Stan-Ekeh-and-Inuwa-at-NBA-Conference-2026-cc.png",672,365,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/consumerconnectng.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Leo-Stan-Ekeh-and-Inuwa-at-NBA-Conference-2026-cc-150x150.png",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/consumerconnectng.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Leo-Stan-Ekeh-and-Inuwa-at-NBA-Conference-2026-cc-300x163.png",300,163,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/consumerconnectng.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Leo-Stan-Ekeh-and-Inuwa-at-NBA-Conference-2026-cc.png",672,365,false],"large":["https:\/\/consumerconnectng.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Leo-Stan-Ekeh-and-Inuwa-at-NBA-Conference-2026-cc.png",672,365,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/consumerconnectng.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Leo-Stan-Ekeh-and-Inuwa-at-NBA-Conference-2026-cc.png",672,365,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/consumerconnectng.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Leo-Stan-Ekeh-and-Inuwa-at-NBA-Conference-2026-cc.png",672,365,false]},"author_info":{"info":["ConsumerConnect"]},"category_info":"<a href=\"https:\/\/consumerconnectng.com\/?cat=20\" rel=\"category\">Highlights<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/consumerconnectng.com\/?cat=3\" rel=\"category\">InfoEducation<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/consumerconnectng.com\/?cat=4\" rel=\"category\">Markets<\/a>","tag_info":"Markets","comment_count":"0","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/consumerconnectng.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3616","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/consumerconnectng.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/consumerconnectng.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/consumerconnectng.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/consumerconnectng.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3616"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/consumerconnectng.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3616\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3674,"href":"https:\/\/consumerconnectng.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3616\/revisions\/3674"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/consumerconnectng.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3619"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/consumerconnectng.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3616"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/consumerconnectng.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3616"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/consumerconnectng.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3616"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}