The Nigerian Senate has passed two amendment bills aimed at strengthening local manufacturing and processing industries and improving professional procurement practices in the country.
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.
The Senate passed the bills during plenary on Tuesday following a reconsideration of their provisions after President Bola Tinubu returned them to the National Assembly with observations for further legislative action.
Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, who sponsored the bills, moved the motion for their reconsideration, explaining that the Federal Ministry of Justice had identified fundamental issues requiring further legislative consideration and clarification.
According to Bamidele, the National Assembly had previously passed the bills and transmitted them to the President for assent. However, the observations raised by the President necessitated a review to address the identified concerns.
He explained that the proposed amendment to the Raw Materials Research and Development Council Act was designed to provide a legal framework for protecting and developing Nigeria’s local manufacturing and processing industries.
The amendment is expected to strengthen the council’s role in promoting the development and utilisation of raw materials to support domestic production and industrial growth.
The second bill, which seeks to amend the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply Management of Nigeria (Establishment) Act, is intended to accommodate developments in professional procurement practices internationally.
Bamidele noted that a technical committee comprising representatives of both chambers of the National Assembly and legal drafting experts examined the issues raised in the President’s observations.
Following the reconsideration, the Senate rescinded its earlier decisions on the bills and recommitted them to the Committee of the Whole for further legislative scrutiny.
The lawmakers subsequently considered the provisions of the bills clause by clause and approved the amendments in line with the committee’s recommendations.
For the Raw Materials Research and Development Council amendment, the Senate approved Clauses 1 to 5, alongside the short title, explanatory memorandum and long title.
The lawmakers also approved the relevant clauses and long title of the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply Management of Nigeria amendment bill.
The two bills subsequently passed through the third-reading stage, completing the Senate’s reconsideration process.
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