News Investigators/ The Director-General of the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), Adebowale Adedokun, has urged the 350 newly trained procurement officers to promote transparency and accountability in government procurement processes.
Mr Adedokun gave the advice at the close of a three-week training programme organised by the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) in partnership with the Petroleum Trust Development Fund (PTDF) in Port Harcourt on Saturday.
The BPP director-general explained that the training was part of efforts to promote transparency and accountability in government procurement and to ensure that procurement officers served the interests of the nation.
He noted that the procurement reforms being implemented by the Federal Government were aimed at promoting transparency, accountability, and economic growth.
According to him, the reforms include the Nigeria First Policy, the debarment policy, digitalisation, capacity building, the contractor and service-provider database, and affirmative procurement.
Mr Adedokun emphasised that procurement and its processes constituted a national service and should not be used for selfish gain.
He said the BPP was seeking procurement officers who were dissatisfied with existing inefficiencies and committed to driving positive change within the system.
He further explained that the Bureau was working to build a new generation of procurement officers in the civil service who would contribute to national development and make the country proud through their work.
The director-general stated that the Bureau was also ensuring that government agencies used their facilities effectively and efficiently and that public assets were put to proper use.
Mr Adedokun expressed confidence that the trained officers would apply the knowledge acquired during the programme to improve procurement processes in their respective organisations and enhance public trust in government institutions.
He directed the officers to submit reports to their management detailing what they had learnt from the training and the changes they intended to implement in their organisations.
He also urged them to continue improving their skills through online courses and advanced training programmes.
The BPP boss outlined expectations for the officers, including efficiency, transparency, accountability in procurement processes, and improved project implementation.
He disclosed that the BPP planned to train more procurement officers in the coming months, with the next batch scheduled to begin in January 2026.
He added that the Bureau had also been training chief executives and senior government officials on procurement processes, noting that the programme was ongoing.
Adedokun reaffirmed the BPP’s commitment to transparency and accountability in government procurement and warned that any officer who violated the provisions of the law would face sanctions.
He also stated that procurement officers were required to take decisions on assigned procurement tasks within a maximum of 72 hours, adding that failure to do so would result in the matter being referred to their superiors.
NAN