BPP unveils new reforms, indicts 13 MDAs, contractors for alleged N1.1trn procurement infractions

*Dr. Adebowale Adedokun, Director-General of the Bureau of Public Procurement, emphasises the new reforms are designed to overhaul the public procurement system towards restoring transparency, accountability and value for money in the Nigerian economy

Isola Moses | ConsumerConnect

Nigeria’s Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) has unveiled new reforms aimed at overhauling the country’s public procurement system.

The Bureau said the core objective of the reforms is to restore transparency, accountability and value for money in the Nigerian economy.

ConsumerConnect reports Dr. Adebowale Adedokun, Director-General of BPP, disclosed this Thursday, February 26, 2026, at a stakeholders’ consultative meeting in Lagos.

The BPP organised the forum with support from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and Partnership for Agile Governance and Climate Engagement (PACE) respectively.

The stakeholders’ consultative meeting attracted contractors, suppliers, consultants, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and professional bodies to deliberate on the Methodology for Assessing Procurement Systems (MAPS).

Speaking at the forum, Dr. Adedokun explained that the country’s development is directly tied to the integrity of its procurement system.

He equally pledged to “shake the system” where necessary in order to protect public resources and promote sustainable development.

In regard to the contributions of the BPP to the economy over the past decade, he noted that the West African country’s procurement culture has deteriorated, allowing entrenched practices that undermine due process and national development.

Therefore, correcting the identified irregularities in the system would be difficult but necessary, said he.

The Director-General of BPP stated that procurement yet remains central to infrastructure delivery, service provision and overall economic growth in Nigeria.

According to Adedokun, on assumption of office, he received a directive from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to reform procurement at the Federal level.

The BPP Chief also emphasised that the system required a total overhaul rather than mere cosmetic adjustments.

Warning to Procurement Officers against infractions 

In ensuring transparency and integrity from within, Adedokun as well warned that Procurement Officers in government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) must not view their roles as avenues for personal enrichment.

Any officer seeking wealth through the system should resign, he declared.

He, therefore, described public officials and contractors as collaborators in procurement abuse, condemning contract inflation and inducements offered to government officials.

On ‘No Objection’ practices, indictment of 13 agencies, contractors

Addressing one of the age-long practices in the public procurement system, Dr. Adedokun disclosed that within a year of tightening approval processes and eliminating blanket “no objection” practices, the BPP identified discrepancies amounting to N1.1 trillion that could have been lost through leakages.

The Director-General said that 13 agencies and contractors were recently referred to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for investigation over purported procurement violations.

‘Nigeria First’ Policy and public contracts

Underlining the significance of the current administration’s far-reaching policy on backward integration, Adedokun further announced the introduction of a “Nigeria First” policy to prioritise locally assembled vehicles and key sectors, such as textiles and manufacturing, in public procurements.

The Bureau, he noted, is already implementing affirmative procurement measures to allocate a percentage of public contracts to women-led businesses, youths, persons with disabilities, start-ups and veterans in the country’s economy.

Besides, the BPP is moving towards sector-based procurement thresholds and contractor categorisation to eliminate the era of “general contractors” handling projects outside their areas of core competencies, stated he.

Policy on blacklisting any indicted contractors

Adedokun as well revealed the Bureau had unveiled a policy to blacklist contractors, who deliver substandard projects.

He stressed that poor performance would no longer go unpunished.

The BPP will deploy an AI-driven question-and-answer platform to improve guidance, transparency and responsiveness to stakeholders, he said.

Meanwhile, the Bureau also announced the digitisation of the procurement process, effective from Monday, March 2 this year, in Nigeria.

Adedokun noted the overarching objective of the measure is to reduce human interference and enhance transparency in the public procurement system in the country.

Earlier, in her address on the occasion, Mrs. Chioma Itodo from PACE, had explained her organisation’s partnership with the BPP is to strengthen Nigeria’s procurement system.

Itodo explained the PACE programme facilitates dialogue between government and citizens towards addressing procurement challenges.

She disclosed the initiative is being funded by the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office but implemented locally.

The programme is also supporting the BPP in implementing MAPS as a pathway towards developing a comprehensive national procurement strategy, she said.

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