Technology entrepreneur and founder of Zinox Group, Leo Stan Ekeh, has raised concerns over the quality and authenticity of technology products purchased by government agencies and corporate organisations in Nigeria.
Ekeh alleged that about 57 per cent of technology products procured by Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and private companies are refurbished items that are presented to buyers as brand new.
He made the allegation at the 66th Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) during a session on “E-Commerce and Procurement: Transforming Public Contracting through Digital Systems, Transparency and Local Capacity Development.”
The conference is themed, “Beyond Limits.”
Describing the practice as fraudulent, Ekeh called for sanctions against companies found to be involved in the supply of refurbished equipment as new products.
He attributed the problem, in part, to the failure of organisations to properly engage genuine local partners accredited by foreign Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs).
Ekeh, who has more than four decades of experience in the technology sector, said his dealings with global technology companies such as HP, IBM, Dell, Cisco and Microsoft had given him considerable insight into the challenges surrounding technology procurement in Nigeria.
He noted that Nigerian organisations often place a premium on foreign brands, sometimes at the expense of indigenous technology companies with the capacity to provide reliable and internationally certified products and services.
According to him, the preference for foreign brands does not necessarily guarantee quality or authenticity, as organisations could end up paying for refurbished equipment believing they are buying new products.
He said the situation raises broader concerns about transparency, procurement verification and value for money, particularly when public funds are involved.
Ekeh stressed that government agencies must ensure that technology equipment acquired for critical public infrastructure and services is genuine, fit for purpose and procured through transparent processes.
He therefore urged stronger implementation of the Nigeria First Policy, with government agencies encouraged to patronise qualified indigenous technology firms and locally developed solutions that meet established quality and international standards.
The Zinox founder also advocated wider deployment of digital tools in public procurement, arguing that technology could reduce opportunities for manipulation and improve accountability.
He identified e-procurement platforms, government cloud infrastructure, data protection systems and digital audit trails as tools capable of making procurement processes more transparent and traceable.
Ekeh said Nigeria could not achieve meaningful technological independence without deliberately developing its indigenous technology ecosystem.
He argued that local companies should be given opportunities to compete on merit, rather than being disadvantaged by the perception that foreign products are automatically superior.
The technology entrepreneur also called for greater digital awareness among legal practitioners, saying lawyers would increasingly be required to understand technology, data protection, regulatory compliance and digital contracting as procurement processes become more technology-driven.
The session featured several experts in public procurement and technology, including the Director-General of the Bureau of Public Procurement, Dr Adebowale Adedokun, who delivered the lead presentation.
Others were the Director-General/Chief Executive Officer of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi; Director-General of the Lagos State Public Procurement Agency, Fatai Idowu Onafowote; Director-General of the Kaduna State Public Procurement Authority, Engr Sanusi Aminu Yero; and Andrew Osemedua Odom, SAN.
Dr Faith Amarachi Okpara coordinated the session.
The discussions emphasised the need for Nigeria to adopt a procurement culture centred on authenticity, transparency, quality and value for money.
Participants argued that while foreign technology should not be rejected solely because of its origin, locally developed products and services should equally be assessed on their quality and capacity to meet international standards.
They said a more transparent procurement system would not only reduce the risk of waste and fraud but also provide Nigerian technology companies with greater opportunities to expand and contribute to the country’s digital transformation.
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