Nigeria Enforces a Mandatory 14-Day Standstill Period for Public Procurement Awards

On 22 October, Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation announced that ministries, departments, agencies and other procuring entities must observe a mandatory 14-calendar-day standstill period before finalising public procurement awards. The intended-award notice must identify the successful bidder and contract sum, while allowing unsuccessful bidders to seek clarification or lodge complaints. The directive did not specify a separate contract budget. Businesses can explore opportunities in procurement compliance, bid monitoring and public-sector supplier support, while HPC can support procurement analytics, digital reporting and decision-support systems; contract sums will depend on individual procurement awards.