Nigerian small businesses seeking government contracts have been urged to strengthen their knowledge of procurement procedures as the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) introduces a free online training portal to help them compete for public contracts.
The Honourable Minister of State for Industry, Senator John Owan Enoh, disclosed this in a statement following discussions at the 32nd Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) summit held at Transcorp.
Enoh said the portal would equip micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) with the knowledge required to navigate government procurement processes, noting that some businesses lose contract opportunities because of documentation errors rather than poor products or services.
“I have seen too many good businesses disqualified not because their products or services were poor, but because of missing documents or incomplete filings,” he said.
According to the minister, the training is self-paced, accessible nationwide and designed to remove barriers associated with training costs and intermediaries.
He urged MSMEs to register on the portal, complete the training and encourage members of their business associations and clusters to participate.
Enoh also called on ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) to create deliberate opportunities for small enterprises by packaging contracts in accessible sizes and ensuring prompt payment to contractors.
“To our MDAs, I charge you to make deliberate room for small enterprises, package contracts in accessible sizes, and critically pay promptly,” he said.
The minister argued that government procurement could stimulate economic growth when public institutions purchase more goods and services from Nigerian businesses.
He said the approach could create jobs, strengthen local industries, conserve foreign exchange and retain economic value within the country.
“Policy alone is not enough, it must follow measurable impacts. Our MSMEs must be equipped to compete,” Enoh added.
He said the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment would continue working with the BPP and other partners to improve the process.
However, completing the training would not automatically guarantee contracts, as businesses must still satisfy applicable procurement requirements.
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