The Director General of the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), Dr Adebowale Adedokun, has urged the South South Development Commission (SSDC) to uphold transparency, accountability and value for money in all procurement processes to promote sustainable development.
According to a report by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Adedokun gave the charge while delivering a virtual lecture during a two day induction programme for members of the SSDC Board and senior management. The programme was organised by the Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR) in collaboration with the commission.
Speaking on the theme, “Essentials of Public Procurement,” Adedokun described procurement as a strategic tool for national development, stressing that it serves as the link between budget approval and effective service delivery.
He urged the commission to uphold the principles of fairness, transparency, accountability, open competition, efficiency and value for money, while warning against procurement violations such as manipulation of bid evaluations, defective bidding processes, poor record keeping and abuse of emergency procurement provisions.
The BPP Director General disclosed that the bureau recorded savings of about N1.1 trillion from procurement processes in 2025 through effective compliance monitoring, which also prevented billions of naira in potential losses to the Federal Government.
Adedokun stressed that procurement activities must only commence after the approval of a procurement plan, warning that initiating procurement without an approved plan constitutes a criminal offence under the law.
He explained that procurement plans must be prepared by the Procurement Department, reviewed by the Procurement Planning Committee, approved by the Tenders Board and forwarded to the Bureau through the Nigeria Open Contracting Portal (NOCOPO) for review.
The BPP boss also highlighted recent amendments introduced by the Finance Act, including stricter rules on mobilisation fees, written confirmation of Tenders Board decisions by political heads and the adoption of open competitive bidding as the default procurement method.
He maintained that only trained and certified procurement professionals should handle procurement activities, while contractors must meet all statutory requirements before participating in government contracts.
Adedokun further reminded board members that their role is to provide policy direction and oversight, noting that they are not authorised to award contracts or directly participate in procurement activities.
He urged the commission to use public procurement as a catalyst for sustainable development through investments in infrastructure, education, tourism, energy and other critical sectors across the South South region.
Leave a comment