The Federal Government has introduced reforms that will significantly reduce contract approval bottlenecks, tighten fiscal oversight and expand opportunities for indigenous businesses.

The Director-General of the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), Dr Adebowale Adedokun, disclosed this yesterday in Abuja at the inaugural National Public Procurement Day and Procurement Evolution Showcase.

He noted that the reforms, directed by President Bola Tinubu, are transforming procurement into a strategic instrument for economic growth, transparency and national development.

Adedokun revealed that the review of procurement thresholds across the Federal Public Service has drastically reduced the number of contracts requiring approval by the Federal Executive Council (FEC), freeing the country’s highest policy-making body to focus on broader governance and economic issues.

“FEC rarely meets to deliberate on contract awards anymore. The revised thresholds have eliminated unnecessary bottlenecks while maintaining transparency and accountability,” he said.

The reforms come amid growing concerns over delays in project execution, cost overruns and bureaucratic inefficiencies that have historically hampered infrastructure delivery and budget implementation.

The BPP DG explained that under the new regime, procurement powers have been devolved to ministerial and parastatal tender boards as well as accounting officers within approved limits, accelerating decision-making and project delivery across government institutions.

Adedokun said Tinubu has also directed that all contract variations must receive explicit approval from the BPP, a measure designed to curb abuse, cost inflation and contract manipulation.

He added that the Bureau has institutionalised a mandatory 14-working-day standstill period before contract execution, allowing aggrieved bidders to challenge procurement decisions and seek redress.

To deepen accountability, ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) are now required to publish monthly contract awards and quarterly performance reports.

At the same time, a joint monitoring and evaluation framework developed with the Budget Office is expected to improve alignment between procurement activities and budgetary allocations.

The BPP boss revealed that the government has deployed advanced price intelligence and benchmarking systems to safeguard public funds and ensure value-for-money in contract awards.

A major pillar of the reforms is the ongoing digital transformation of procurement processes.

He stated that electronic procurement platforms, a Nigerian e-market system, and upgraded contractor certification databases are being introduced to automate procurement procedures, reduce human interference, and minimise corruption risks.

He added: “The future of procurement is digital. Technology is helping us strengthen transparency, improve efficiency and reduce opportunities for abuse within the system,” he said.

According to him, the reforms also seek to use procurement as a catalyst for economic development through the implementation of the Nigeria First Policy, which prioritises local firms in key sectors including infrastructure, automobile manufacturing, information and communications technology, renewable energy, textiles and agriculture.

He hinted that the public procurement body is also developing affirmative procurement frameworks to increase participation by women-owned enterprises, small and medium-scale businesses, and vulnerable groups in government contracting opportunities.

The BPP has introduced certification programmes, specialised procurement training and academic partnerships with six federal universities to strengthen capacity and raise standards across the procurement ecosystem.

Adedokun insisted that the new measures are critical to building public confidence in government spending and ensuring that procurement serves as a tool for delivering development outcomes rather than merely awarding contracts.