By Maryam Shuaibu
The Federal Government has launched a Digital Standards Platform designed to modernise Nigeria’s quality infrastructure, improve access to industrial standards and strengthen public procurement by making compliance with national quality standards easier for businesses.
As part of the reform, the government announced that the Nigerian Industrial Standards (NIS) Attestation Certificate, obtained through the new platform, has become a mandatory bid document for all Federal Government procurement involving goods, works and services where Nigerian Industrial Standards apply.
The platform, jointly developed by the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) and technology firm Goringo Consult Limited, provides digital access to Nigerian Industrial Standards, certification services, compliance tools and product verification services.
Speaking at the launch in Abuja on Friday, the Minister of State for Industry, John Owan Enoh, described the initiative as a major milestone in the country’s industrialisation drive and a key component of President Bola Tinubu’s Nigeria First Policy.
He said the platform would remove long-standing barriers that have made it difficult, particularly for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), to access standards and certification services.
“For too long, businesses have had to contend with paperwork, travel and delays before accessing standards and compliance information. The Digital Standards Platform removes those barriers and transforms standardisation from a regulatory hurdle into a business advantage,” Mr Enoh said.
According to him, the initiative will strengthen local manufacturing by giving businesses easier access to quality standards while enabling government agencies to verify compliance during procurement.
He added that the platform would also improve the ease of doing business by digitising certification processes and reducing administrative bottlenecks.
Digital Gateway to National Quality Standards
Director-General of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria, Ifeanyi Okeke, said the platform marks the beginning of a new era in Nigeria’s quality assurance system.
He explained that businesses can now access Nigerian Industrial Standards, conformity assessment services, certified manufacturers and product verification through a single online platform without relying on physical processes.
Mr Okeke also said the platform would allow Nigerians to verify whether products are SON-certified before making purchases, helping to curb the circulation of counterfeit and substandard goods.
He added that businesses would be able to obtain selected internationally recognised standards at discounted rates through SON’s licensing agreements with global standards organisations.
“The platform promotes transparency, supports informed purchasing decisions and strengthens consumer confidence while making compliance easier for manufacturers,” he said.
Procurement Reform
Also speaking, Director-General of the Bureau of Public Procurement, Adebowale Adedokun, said the platform would fundamentally change public procurement by embedding quality standards into government purchasing.
He announced that Nigerian Industrial Standards would soon be integrated into the Bureau’s e-Marketplace, allowing ministries, departments and agencies to identify and procure verified Made-in-Nigeria products.
According to him, the newly introduced NIS Attestation Certificate will now serve as a compulsory requirement during the evaluation of bids for federal contracts involving applicable standards.
“This gives procuring entities an objective basis for verification and ensures that only standards-compliant products and services are supplied to government,” he said.
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The Director-General of the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), Jobson Ewalefoh, described the platform as one of the first Public-Private Partnership projects delivered under the commission’s revised PPP framework.
He said the project demonstrates how collaboration between government and the private sector can deliver technology-driven reforms that improve public service delivery.
Nigeria has faced persistent challenges with counterfeit goods, weak compliance with industrial standards and limited access to certification services, particularly among small businesses.
The Federal Government said the Digital Standards Platform is expected to improve transparency in procurement, strengthen consumer confidence, support local manufacturers and enhance the global competitiveness of Made-in-Nigeria products.