The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), in collaboration with the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), has launched the Digital Standards Platform (DSP), a major digital initiative aimed at integrating Nigerian Industrial Standards (NIS) into public procurement and strengthening the implementation of the Federal Government’s Nigeria First Policy.
The platform was officially unveiled in Abuja by the Minister of State for Industry, Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Senator John Owan Enoh, at a high-level stakeholders’ event attended by government officials, industry players and development partners.
The technology-driven platform serves as Nigeria’s unified digital gateway to the country’s quality infrastructure, providing users with digital access to Nigerian Industrial Standards, conformity assessment services, compliance tools, certification services, certified products, certified manufacturers and other standards-related resources.
Designed to embed standards into the public procurement process, the platform is expected to enhance transparency, accountability, quality assurance and value for money in government spending while promoting local content and compliance with national quality requirements.
The Digital Standards Platform was developed and deployed by Goringo Consult Limited under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement with the Bureau of Public Procurement in collaboration with the Standards Organisation of Nigeria.
In his welcome address, the Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the Bureau of Public Procurement, Dr. Adebowale A. Adedokun, described public procurement as one of government’s most powerful economic policy instruments, stressing that every public contract should support local industry and contribute to national development.
According to him, the integration of Nigerian Industrial Standards into the procurement process will improve the quality of goods, works and services delivered through government contracts while reinforcing the objectives of the Nigeria First Policy.
Dr. Adedokun also announced that the Nigerian Industrial Standards (NIS) Attestation Certificate, obtainable through the Digital Standards Platform, has become a mandatory bid document and evaluation requirement for all Federal Government procurements involving goods, works and services covered by applicable Nigerian Industrial Standards.
The development is expected to ensure that only products and services that comply with approved national standards are considered for public procurement, thereby enhancing quality assurance, reducing substandard deliveries and promoting greater confidence in government projects.
Stakeholders at the event described the Digital Standards Platform as a transformative step towards digitising Nigeria’s quality infrastructure, improving regulatory compliance and aligning public procurement with international best practices while supporting indigenous manufacturers and service providers.
