Business
FG Announces New Procurement Policy Shift Favouring Local Manufacturing
The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved a “Nigeria First Policy” aimed at prioritising the use of locally made goods and services in all government procurements.
The Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris, made the disclosure saying that the policy seeks to domesticate all government processes.
The Nigerian government expects that with the new policy, local manufacturers will get priority in the provision of goods and services.
“No procurement of foreign goods or services already available locally shall proceed without justification, and where there is an exceptional need for these services to procure from outside, there must be a waiver to be obtained, written waiver to be obtained by the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP),” Mr Idris said.
“Where no viable local option exists, contracts must include provisions for technology transfer, local production or skills development.
For example, the provision of portal allocations under the sugar master plan should take into consideration participants’ backwards integration plans and investment in Nigeria and ensure compliance with the Master Plan.
“The MDAs have also been directed to immediately conduct an audit of all procurement plans and submit revised versions in line with these directives. Breaches will attract sanctions, including cancellation of procurement processes by such MDAS, and indeed disciplinary action against responsible officers,” the minister noted.
The federal cabinet approved these proposals on Monday and the office of the Attorney General of the Federation has been directed to prepare an Executive Order to be issued by President Bola Tinubu.
This is a major shift in government policy, Mr Idris added. “It puts Nigeria – not foreign companies, not imports – at the heart of our national development.”Once signed into law, Mr Idris said, the legislation will “foster a new business culture that will be bold, confident, but also very, very Nigerian, and it aims at making the government invest in our people and our industries by changing how the government spends money, how we procure and how we also build our economy.”“Going forward, Nigerian industry will take precedence in all procurement processes,” the minister said.
This is a major shift in government policy, Mr Idris added. “It puts Nigeria – not foreign companies, not imports – at the heart of our national development.
”Once signed into law, Mr Idris said, the legislation will “foster a new business culture that will be bold, confident, but also very, very Nigerian, and it aims at making the government invest in our people and our industries by changing how the government spends money, how we procure and how we also build our economy.”
Where local supply falls short, contracts will be structured to build capacity domestically, according to Mr Idris. “Contractors will no longer serve as intermediaries sourcing foreign goods where local factories die. I take the example of the sugar industry.”
“For example, we still have so much importation of sugar coming into this country, yet we have the Nigerian sugar council that was set up to look inward to see how sugar production can be produced, you know, for the benefit of Nigerians.
President Tinubu has proposed that we will no longer just sit there and allow importation to come into this country where there is the capacity for production of these commodities locally.
Now, as I said, the president has proposed the following directives, and all of them have been approved by the Federal Executive Council.”
President Tinubu has proposed that we will no longer just sit there and allow importation to come into this country where there is the capacity for production of these commodities locally. Now, as I said, the president has proposed the following directives, and all of them have been approved by the Federal Executive Council.”
Business
Dangote Petroleum announces N1,245 new price template for marketers
The new pricing, making it the fourth time since the Middle East war began, is set to take effect from midnight on March 21, 2026.
The Dangote Petroleum Refinery has announced a fresh hike in the ex-depot price of its petrol to N1,245 per litre from N1,175 per litre while the coastal price increased from N1,512,648 to N1,606,518 per metric tonne.
The new pricing, making it the fourth time since the Middle East war began, is set to take effect from midnight on March 21, 2026.
In a notice sent to marketers on Friday night the company explained that the revision reflects global market realities, including fluctuations in crude oil prices and increased shipping costs, which are beyond the refinery’s control..
” Please note that the revised price will apply to all unloaded gantry and coastal volumes and is effective from 12am on the 21st of March 2026,” it stated.
The latest adjustment is expected to ripple across the downstream sector, with pump prices likely to rise in the coming days as marketers pass on the increased cost to consumers.
Business
Global energy costs take its toll on Nigerian Manufacturers
The recent surge in global fuel prices, driven by geopolitical tensions, is compounding the challenge. While some manufacturers have temporarily absorbed the increases, Onafowakan warned that the full impact could materialise within the next three to four months.
The Managing Director/CEO of Coleman Technical Industries Ltd, Mr George Onafowakan, said that the global higher energy costs occasioned by Iran -US Israeli war has started impacting on manufacturers in Nigeria.
Onafowokan said that findings across major industrial zones reveal a sector heavily dependent on diesel-powered generators, with factories running at high energy costs to sustain operations. Engineers and technical teams now work around the clock to monitor fuel consumption and prevent disruptions that could halt production lines.
Onafowakan stressed that power outages routinely stall factory operations, placing manufacturers under intense pressure to meet delivery timelines.
“When the lights go off, everything stops. We rely on generators, but the costs are rising, and there is constant uncertainty about meeting production targets,” he added.
The recent surge in global fuel prices, driven by geopolitical tensions, is compounding the challenge. While some manufacturers have temporarily absorbed the increases, Onafowakan warned that the full impact could materialise within the next three to four months.
“By the second quarter, businesses may be forced to make difficult decisions around production planning and pricing,” he said.
Beyond individual firms, the impact is already rippling across supply chains. Production delays are affecting dependent businesses and, ultimately, consumers, who are likely to face higher prices for goods.
Despite the growing pressure, Onafowakan said widespread layoffs or major operational restructuring may not occur immediately but cautioned that the situation could deteriorate without timely intervention.
Business
CBN orders banks to reverse failed ATM transactions immediately
The requirement will be implemented gradually over three years, with banks expected to meet 30 percent of the threshold in 2026, 60 percent in 2027 and full compliance by 2028.
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has directed banks to immediately reverse failed automated teller machine (ATM) transactions.
The apex bank said that the revised framework is designed to strengthen ATM service reliability, improve fraud monitoring, enhance security and ensure stronger consumer protection across Nigeria’s fast-growing digital payments ecosystem., tightening rules aimed at improving consumer protection and reliability across the country’s payment infrastructure.
Beyond refund timelines, the regulator introduced new requirements for ATM deployment nationwide.
All card issuers are required to deploy at least one ATM for every 7,500 payment cards issued.
The requirement will be implemented gradually over three years, with banks expected to meet 30 percent of the threshold in 2026, 60 percent in 2027 and full compliance by 2028.
Under new Guidelines on the Operations of Automated Teller Machines in Nigeria, the apex bank said failed “on-us” ATM transactions, where a customer uses the ATM of their own bank, must be reversed instantly. Where an instant reversal fails due to technical issues or system glitches, banks are required to complete a manual reversal within 24 hours.
For failed “not-on-us” transactions, where a customer uses another bank’s ATM, the refund timeline must not exceed 48 hours.
The guidelines also state that automated reversals for on-us transactions should occur in less than five minutes, while not-on-us transactions should be resolved in less than 15 minutes where automated systems function properly.
The CBN added that in cases where transaction failures arise from biometric mismatch or device errors, ATM operators must provide an immediate fallback to non-biometric verification where it is considered safe.
Such events must also be logged for diagnostics while the stipulated refund timelines are maintained.
The Central Bank also directed that ATMs must be located within reasonable proximity to one another across both urban and rural areas, while deployment, relocation or decommissioning of machines must receive prior written approval from the regulator.
The guidelines also set operational and service benchmarks for ATM operators.
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