ABUJA, NIGERIA — The Bureau of Public Procurement has unveiled a broad procurement transformation programme anchored on digitalisation, professionalisation, compliance and the strategic use of government spending, while seeking stronger partnerships with the media and digital content creators to improve transparency in public expenditure.
The Director-General of the BPP, Dr Adebowale Adedokun, disclosed this on Thursday at the 2026 BAVCCA/BPP Procurement Performance Conference in Abuja, where he described public procurement as a major instrument for driving Nigeria’s economic and infrastructural development . The development comes amid longstanding concerns over transparency, value for money and accountability in the management of public resources, with procurement serving as a key channel through which government funds are converted into roads, hospitals, schools, security infrastructure and other development projects .
Speaking at the conference, Adedokun, who was represented by the Director of Civil Infrastructure, Nasir Bello, said the bureau was implementing what he described as one of the most ambitious procurement modernisation programmes in Nigeria’s history . “Procurement is not merely a government process, it is a development instrument, an economic driver, and a powerful catalyst for national transformation,” he said .
A major component of the reform, he said, was the implementation of the electronic government procurement system, which would automate key stages of procurement across government institutions . Adedokun said the system would reduce manual intervention, strengthen audit trails, facilitate real-time monitoring and provide more reliable procurement data for evidence-based decision-making . He stressed that the initiative was not merely about replacing paper-based processes with digital platforms. “It is not simply digitization. It is a transformation,” the BPP boss said .
The DG also identified the Federal Government’s Nigeria First policy as an important component of the procurement reform, stressing that government spending should be deployed to stimulate domestic industries, create jobs, promote innovation and retain economic value within the country . “Government spending must not merely purchase products and services. It must create opportunities. It must strengthen the industry. It must retain value within our economy,” he said .
The BPP further called for the professionalisation of procurement management and stronger compliance and oversight mechanisms, while advocating greater access to public procurement opportunities for micro, small and medium enterprises, women-owned businesses, youth-led enterprises and other underrepresented groups .
The reforms have already yielded significant results. According to Adedokun, the Bureau saved N1.1 trillion in the first 11 months of 2025 and a further N400 billion in the first half of 2026, representing funds that would otherwise have been lost from government coffers but were retained through policy changes, benchmarking and stricter controls . He noted that the N1.1 trillion saved in 11 months was significant compared with the N2.2 trillion saved through government procurement between 2007 and 2025 .
The BPP boss also challenged civil society organisations to extend their scrutiny to state governments, noting that a significant proportion of public funds was controlled at the sub-national level . “Have you thought about states? You know, states are taking loans… the bulk of the money is at the sub-national level. If you are borrowing money from the World Bank, what procurement processes are you adopting? Who is guaranteeing the loan? Federal Government,” he queried .
Meanwhile, the Bloggers and Content Creators Association of Nigeria announced plans to submit petitions and evidence of alleged corruption in parts of the public procurement system to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission . The President of BAVCCA, Ikechukwu Chukwunyere, said the association had uncovered what he described as “deeply troubling patterns of wrongdoing” within parts of the public system . Chukwunyere also called for stronger and more structured engagement between the BPP, media organisations, civil society and digital content creators .
Adedokun urged bloggers, content creators and digital journalists to play a more active role in monitoring public procurement and explaining government spending to citizens . “You are no longer mere observers. You are drivers of public discourse. You are amplifiers of information. You are partners in accountability,” he said .
