The Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) has unveiled a transformative strategy aimed at strengthening trust and transparency within Nigeria’s public procurement system.
The Director-General of the agency, Dr Adebowale Adedokun, said this during the stakeholders’ consultative meeting on Tuesday in Kano.
He said that the meeting aimed to discuss the Methodology for Assessing Procurement Systems (MAPS) framework and its role in strengthening public procurement processes in the country.
According to him, the participants included professional bodies, civil society organisations, development partners, contractors , consultants , suppliers among others.
He explained that the strategy emphasizes the transition of government agencies to submit procurement requests electronically, thereby enhancing traceability and minimising opportunities for discrepancies.
“By shifting to an electronic system, we can track discrepancies more effectively, whether they occur with contractors or government agencies,” Adedokun stated.
He also lauded Nigeria’s Public Procurement Act, which mirrors the framework set by the United Nations, but pointed out the need for refinements in its execution.
“We have learned from past experiences, and now it’s time to amend the act to improve its impact and attract foreign investments,” he added.
The director-general also outlined updates to the procurement framework, which aimed to provide greater representation for women, youth, and people with disabilities in the process.
He emphasised the importance of the MAPS assessment as a tool for benchmarking Nigeria’s procurement system against international best practices.
The BPP boss also highlighted key reforms designed to fortify the procurement process, ensure equal access to opportunities, and optimize value-for-money in government spending.
“Over the years, BPP has worked closely with the World Bank and other development partners to introduce pivotal initiatives, including the Country Procurement Assessment Report (CPAR) and the Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability (PEFA) assessments,” he explained.
These efforts, he said, had laid the groundwork for Nigeria’s ongoing procurement reforms.
Adedokun further encouraged active participation from the stakeholders, stressing that their feedback is essential in refining the national procurement strategy.
He reiterated that the BPP’s reforms were focused on inclusivity, sustainability, and ensuring value-for-money in procurement practices.
The federal lead, FCDO-funded PACE, Dr Umar Abu, said that programme has partnered with BPP to strengthen public procurement, focusing on digitization, transparency, and accountability.
He said that the collaboration aims to deploy the Methodology for Assessing Procurement Systems (MAPS) framework and support the development of a National Procurement Strategy.
Abu emphasised that the partnership with the BPP was a significant step towards aligning Nigeria’s procurement system with international best practices.
Earlier, the Kano Commissioner for Public Procurement and Project Monitoring, Nura Ma’aji, stated that Governor Abba Kabir has shown full support for due process in public procurement.
Represented by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Alhaji Adamu Garba, said the government was fully committed to procurement act and
The government has a zero-tolerance policy towards corrupt.
Also speaking, the president of Nigeria Institute of Quantity Surveyors(NIQS), Alhaji Bashir Aminu, commended president Bola Tinubu for reviewing public procurement threshold that aimed to enhance public service delivery efficiency in Nigeria’s evolving economic landscape.
He also lauded BPP for its innovative efforts in promoting transparency and accountability in the procurement process and the award of contracts.
Aminu, who commended BPP for organizing the meeting, said that it would go along way in enlightening stakeholders in the country.
