The Federal Government has clarified its new “Nigeria First” policy on road projects, stating that indigenous contractors are not limited to handling projects below ₦20 billion. Works Minister David Umahi made the clarification during an inspection of the Carter Bridge in Lagos, following earlier reports that created confusion over the scope of local contractors’ participation.
Under the revised framework, all contracts below ₦20bn are reserved exclusively for Nigerian firms, while projects above ₦20bn remain open to both local and expatriate contractors. Umahi stressed that competent Nigerian contractors can compete at any level, while foreign firms will no longer bid for sub-₦20bn projects.
The policy is designed to deepen local content participation, strengthen domestic construction capacity, and embed technology transfer provisions where local alternatives are lacking. Umahi also warned that contractors failing to cover binder courses within two months would face sanctions, with funds recovered for substandard work. By tightening oversight and ringfencing smaller projects for Nigerian firms, the initiative aims to raise construction quality, enhance accountability, and stimulate the growth of indigenous contractors under the Tinubu administration’s Nigeria First agenda.
