The Director-General of the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), Dr. Adebowale A. Adedokun, has declared that Nigeria’s procurement system will undergo a comprehensive overhaul, warning that entrenched interests may resist the reforms.

The DG stated this at a stakeholders’ consultative session with the bidding public and civil society organisations in Lagos.

The consultative session, in partnership with the Partnership for Agile Governance and Climate Engagement (PACE), brought together the bidding public, civil society actors, policymakers, and reform champions to validate findings from Nigeria’s recent procurement system assessment and shape the next phase of national procurement reform.

The session builds on findings from the Methodology for Assessing Procurement Systems (MAPS), a globally recognised diagnostic framework developed by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

The MAPS assessment examined Nigeria’s federal procurement system across legal frameworks, institutional capacity, market practices, transparency, and accountability.

Adedokun described the country’s procurement environment as challenging, stressing that national development is closely tied to the effectiveness and transparency of public procurement processes.

“No nation develops or achieves milestones where procurement is seen as merely transactional. The development of Nigeria is basically under how effective our procurement processes are,” he said.

The BPP boss cautioned procurement officers against viewing the system as an avenue for personal enrichment.
Adedokun also challenged contractors to desist from inflating contract prices and inducing public officials.

As part of sweeping reforms, Adedokun announced that from March 2, all submissions to the BPP must be done electronically.

“No government agency can submit anything manually to BPP anymore,” he said, adding that Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) have been directed to establish digital portals for contractors to submit bidding documents.

He noted that MDAs would be given a gestation period, to be announced next week, to fully transition to electronic submissions and digital workflows.
According to him, the move is aimed at substantially eliminating human interference in procurement processes.

“Once you submit your bid online, it will be difficult for a procurement officer to alter it. It will reduce manipulation statistically,” he said.
The BPP is also set to launch a Nigerian first policy to prioritise local content in key sectors, including automobile, textiles and coal.

Adedokun explained that contractors and manufacturers operating locally would be given priority in bidding processes.

“For automobile procurement, there will be no approval by BPP if you do not buy Nigerian-assembled vehicles,” he said.
The Director-General further disclosed that the agency is introducing an affirmative procurement policy that will allocate a percentage of public contracts to women-owned businesses, youth-led enterprises, startups, persons with disabilities and veterans.

“For the first time, we are setting aside specific percentages in public contracts for these groups,” he said, adding that elderly professionals would also be recognised for their expertise.

He, however, warned contractors against delivering substandard projects, revealing that the Federal Government had approved a debarment policy to sanction erring firms.

“If you do a bad job, I’m coming after you. If you collect mobilisation fees and deliver substandard work, you will be debarred and blacklisted,” he warned.

The Chairman, Senate Committee on BPP, Olajide Ipinsagba (PhD) said a proposed bill before the National Assembly has reached public hearing stage, aimed at strengthening local manufacturing and discouraging unnecessary imports.

Ipinsagba explained that the bill seeks to ensure goods and services available in Nigeria are not sourced abroad, urging local manufacturers to participate in the hearing and showcase their capacity.

He noted that encouraging indigenous producers, including firms like Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing, would attract foreign manufacturers to establish plants locally, boost the economy, and reduce transportation costs through improved supply.

Ms. Chioma Itodo of PACE said the FCDO-funded programme is supporting the BPP to independently implement the MAPS as a pathway to a National Procurement Strategy. At the session, Itodo said the six-month assessment reviewed 387 procurement files across 13 MDAs to ensure objectivity and credibility.

According to her, the exercise, built on four pillars, will inform reforms, including the planned review of the Public Procurement Act 2007, to strengthen transparency, accountability and public trust.

Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu represented by the Director-General of the Lagos State BPP, Fatai Idowu

Onafowofe reaffirmed Lagos State’s commitment to deepening procurement reform through sustainability, digital innovation and institutional strengthening.