The Federal Government of Nigeria is developing a National Policy on Affirmative Procurement to increase access to public contracts for women-owned and women-led businesses. The policy, unveiled by the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), aims to utilize public spending as a tool for enterprise development, job creation, and economic inclusion. According to BPP Director-General, Dr. Adebowale Adedokun, the policy will introduce mechanisms to bring historically underrepresented businesses into Nigeria's public procurement system.
The proposed policy will include mechanisms such as quota allocation, joint bidding, and subcontracting to create pathways for eligible women-owned businesses to participate in government contracting. This initiative marks the first time Nigeria has developed an affirmative procurement framework designed to align public procurement with broader objectives of economic inclusion, enterprise development, and national development. The policy targets women-owned and women-led enterprises, which often face structural barriers, including limited access to finance and inadequate technical capacity.
The BPP identified public procurement as a significant component of government expenditure that can be structured to expand opportunities for businesses while maintaining value for money. The policy aims to address the constraints faced by women-owned businesses without compromising the fundamental principles governing public procurement. According to the BPP, affirmative procurement should not be interpreted as preferential treatment without regard to competence, but rather as a means to expand opportunities, strengthen supplier diversity, and build the capacity of target businesses.
The policy's proposed mechanisms are expected to provide different entry points into the procurement market for women-owned businesses. Joint bidding, for instance, could enable smaller firms to partner with more established companies, while subcontracting could provide smaller women-owned enterprises with access to sections of major infrastructure projects. The BPP believes that greater diversity among public-sector suppliers could broaden the productive base of the economy, support small and medium enterprises, stimulate innovation, and increase employment.
The policy is being introduced against the backdrop of growing demand for investment in energy and infrastructure, areas in which engineering expertise will be central to Nigeria's development. The BPP DG emphasized the relevance of the APWEN conference theme, 'Designing Adaptive Systems: Engineering Energy, Building Net Zero, Delivering Tomorrow's Infrastructure,' and urged APWEN to complement professional development with greater emphasis on procurement knowledge and enterprise development.
The BPP is committed to embedding inclusion within the procurement architecture in a manner that remains legally sound, administratively practical, and economically responsible. The Bureau also called for collaboration with APWEN and other stakeholders to strengthen women's capacity to participate effectively in public procurement. If effectively implemented, the affirmative procurement framework could make government contracts a more deliberate channel for developing women-owned enterprises and integrating them into infrastructure and industrial value chains.
The implementation of the policy is expected to have a positive impact on Nigeria's economy, particularly in the areas of energy and infrastructure. The BPP's initiative is seen as a step towards promoting economic inclusion and enterprise development, and it is hoped that it will serve as a model for other countries in the region. The policy's success will depend on the collaboration of various stakeholders, including APWEN, women-owned businesses, and government agencies.
Key points
- The policy aims to increase access to public contracts for women-owned businesses through mechanisms such as quota allocation, joint bidding, and subcontracting.
- The policy targets women-owned and women-led enterprises, which often face structural barriers, including limited access to finance and inadequate technical capacity.
- The implementation of the policy is expected to have a positive impact on Nigeria's economy, particularly in the areas of energy and infrastructure.
