The Director-General of the Bureau of Public Procurement, Dr. Adebowale Adedokun, has announced sweeping reforms to overhaul Nigeria’s public procurement system.
He says the move is aimed at restoring transparency, accountability and value for money in government spending.
Dr. Adedokun made this known at a stakeholders’ consultative meeting held in collaboration with the Partnership for Agile Governance and Climate Engagement(PACE).
The forum brought together contractors, suppliers, consultants, civil society groups and professional bodies to deliberate on the Methodology for Assessing Procurement Systems assessment.
He acknowledged that Nigeria’s procurement culture has deteriorated over the past decade, weakening due process and undermining development.
According to him, reforming the system is critical because procurement drives infrastructure delivery, service provision and economic growth.
The BPP Director-General disclosed that he received a directive from President Bola Tinubu to carry out a comprehensive overhaul at the federal level.
He warned procurement officers against viewing their positions as avenues for personal enrichment, urging anyone with such intentions to step aside.
Dr. Adedokun described public officials and contractors as collaborators in procurement abuses, condemning inflated contracts and inducements.
He revealed that stricter approval processes uncovered discrepancies amounting to one-point-one-trillion naira within one year.
Thirteen agencies and contractors, he said, have been referred to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for investigation.
He announced the introduction of a Nigerian First Policy to prioritise locally assembled vehicles and key sectors such as textiles and manufacturing.
Affirmative procurement measures will also reserve a percentage of contracts for women-led businesses, youths, persons with disabilities, start-ups and veterans.
A new debarment policy will blacklist contractors who deliver substandard projects according to the DG.
The Bureau is introducing sector-based procurement thresholds and contractor categorisation to eliminate the era of general contractors handling specialised jobs.
An AI-driven question-and-answer platform will soon be deployed to enhance transparency and responsiveness.
Meanwhile, PACE representative Mrs. Chioma Itodo says the programme is funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office but implemented locally by Nigerians.
She explained that the MAPS assessment is designed to produce a comprehensive national procurement strategy.
The evaluation focuses on legal frameworks, institutional capacity, procurement operations and accountability mechanisms.
Mrs. Itodo disclosed that 387 procurement files across 13 MDAs were reviewed during the six-month assessment to strengthen Nigeria’s procurement system.
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