The Federal Government moves to establish a common public procurement standard across Nigeria’s federal, state and local governments, warning that federal reforms cannot succeed if procurement weaknesses persist at the grassroots.

The Senior Special Adviser to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (STF), Prof. Bernard Babatunde, who represented the SGF, George Akume, at the opening of the 2026 procurement capacity training in Port Harcourt, said procurement remained the link between government budgets and actual development.

“Public procurement is a critical instrument for translating government policies, budget and development plans into tangible benefits,” he said.

Babatunde warned that poor planning, weak contract management and disregard for due process could fuel waste, delays and substandard projects, insisting that every naira must deliver measurable value.

The Director-General of the Federal Bureau for Public Procurement (BPP), Dr Adebowale Adedokun, said that more than 700 officials had registered for the programme, which is being delivered in two batches, with about 350 attending the first session in Port Harcourt.

He said the inclusion of state and local council officials was deliberate, stressing: “If the procurement process at the federal level is undergoing transformation, and you are leaving out the states and local councils, you will not be making much progress.”

The DG said the programme would combine training with mentorship from experienced Nigerian and international procurement professionals to rebuild a culture of competence, ethics and painstaking preparation.

Rivers State BPP Director-General, Dr Ine Briggs, described the federal-state collaboration as a major step towards closing gaps in procurement knowledge and implementation.

“At the core of it is that public procurement is for the benefit of the people,” she said, assuring that Rivers would embrace innovations designed to strengthen professional standards and knowledge-sharing.