In its quest to give teeth to President Bola Tinubu’s policy of persuading citizens to patronise made in Nigeria products now commonly referred to as ‘Nigeria First’ policy, the Senate is advancing a Bill to ban government from the purchase of foreign-made vehicles
By Udoka Ekeleme, Abuja
A Bill that is seeking to stop all government agencies from buying foreign made cars has passed a Second Reading on the floor of the Senate. The Bill was presented by Senator Patrick Nwabueze on Thursday, May 15, 2025, and was referred to the Senate Committee on Public Procurement to report back in four weeks.
In his lead debate, Senator Nwabueze said when the Bill is passed into law, it will bar all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) from patronizing foreign made vehicles and mandate them to buy only locally manufactured ones. This is in line with the recent policy of President Bola Tinubu captured in the ‘Nigeria First’ framework which aim is to promote the patronage of made in Nigeria products by the citizens.
Senator Nwabueze also added that the move would create more job opportunities for the teeming youths and increase the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
He noted further that the country would save cost if the President, National Assembly Members, Governors, Ministers and top government functionaries patronized locally made automobiles.
At the end of the debate last week, the Deputy President of the Senate, Jibrin Barau, who presided over the session, noted that if passed the Bill would among other things stabilize the economy and preserve the country’s foreign exchange.
Arriving from his eighth official trip to France last April, Tinubu promptly rolled out his new policy on the consumption of products manufactured in Nigeria in a policy he addressed as the “Nigeria First” directive to all Federal Government MDAs.
He said that thenceforth, MDAs’ procurements would prioritize the choice of goods and services made in Nigeria over their foreign or imported competing products. According to the Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris, “If there are any businesses to be done by anybody, the priority will be Nigeria first. If you have any local content, there is no reason for you to go outside this country to import. This is in form of an executive bill the President will soon issue”.
The Federal Government said that the major underlying factor of the policy include boosting local production and employment and conserving scarce foreign exchange. It noted for example that, in 2020, Nigeria spent a whopping $55.4 billion on imports and $52.1 billion in 2021.
