Senate passes amended raw materials and procurement bills after Tinubu's observations
- The Senate has passed two amendment bills on raw materials research and procurement practice.
- Lawmakers rescinded earlier decisions after President Tinubu returned the bills with observations.
- The bills were reworked clause by clause before a third reading and passage.
The Senate on Tuesday passed two amendment bills aimed at strengthening local manufacturing and improving procurement practice in Nigeria, after reworking them to address concerns raised by President Bola Tinubu.
The bills are the Raw Materials Research and Development Council Act Amendment Bill 2026 and the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply Management of Nigeria Establishment Act Amendment Bill 2026.
According to the Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, both bills had earlier been passed by the National Assembly and sent to the President for assent. The President then returned them with observations, and the Federal Ministry of Justice also flagged issues that needed clearer legal drafting.
Why the bills came back
Bamidele said a technical committee made up of representatives from both chambers and legal drafting experts looked at the issues raised. He said the review was needed to ensure the bills were legally clear and consistent before passage.
On the raw materials bill, he said the aim is to protect and develop Nigeria's local manufacturing and processing industries. The procurement bill, he said, is meant to reflect current developments in procurement practice around the world.
To fix the problems, the Senate first rescinded its earlier decisions on the bills and sent them back to the Committee of the Whole for fresh consideration. Lawmakers then went through the bills clause by clause and adopted the recommended changes.
The bills were read a third time and passed.
What the bills touch
For ordinary Nigerians, the raw materials bill touches on how much of what is made and processed in the country relies on local inputs, which is tied to factory jobs and the prices of locally made goods. The procurement bill affects how government buying and contracting is done, an area where professionals have long pushed for clearer standards.
