News Investigators/ The Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) and ICAN have called for a robust partnership to enhance professionalism and bridge the gaps in the nation’s public procurement system.
This is contained in a statement issued by BPP’s Head, Press and Public Relations, Zira Nagga, on Tuesday in Abuja.
Mr Nagga said the call was made during a visit by the President and Chairman of Council, Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria(ICAN) and his team to the Director-General(D-G) of BPP, Adebowale Adedokun.
Mr Adedokun said improved synergy between procurement and accounting professionals would strengthen ongoing reforms, noting that both professions aimed at accountability, transparency and prudent use of public funds.
He said the bureau had saved the Federal Government about N350 billion as of 2025, adding that collaboration with ICAN would further deepen fiscal discipline.
Mr Adedokun stressed the need for accountants to acquire procurement competencies, describing procurement as a multidisciplinary field designed to play strategic roles across various professions.
He urged ICAN to establish a unit that would equip accountants with procurement knowledge, noting that such capacity would help Nigeria save money and ensure value for its resources.
“They can monitor contracts and prices, preventing overcharging and wastage. This can make a big difference in our country’s financial management.”
Mr Adedokun urged ICAN to collaborate with BPP to push for procurement reforms to promote transparency, accountability, and align with global best practices.
He said the Bureau was ready to formalise the partnership with ICAN through a Memorandum of Understanding and set up a joint working team to drive the collaboration.
In his remarks, the ICAN President Haruna Yahaya commended Adedokun’s leadership, saying it had facilitated key reforms such as the National Procurement Certification Portal and debarment processes.
Others, he said, were capacity-building initiatives, Revised Monetary Thresholds and strengthening of the Nigeria Open Contracting Portal, among others.
Mr Yahaya said these reforms had improved transparency and accountability in the procurement process, contributing to cost savings of over N173 billion.
He added that ICAN’s focus on digitalisation, consequence management and citizen-facing transparency aligned with BPP’s reform agenda.
Mr Yahaya outlined key areas of partnership to include support for forensic auditing and data analytics, capacity building for BPP officials, sponsorship and professional up-skilling, and joint research and policy collaboration.
The ICAN President also invited the BPP D-G to feature as guest speaker on the Institute’s weekly broadcast, “ICAN on Air”, to further enlighten members on contemporary procurement issues.
Mr Yahaya said ICAN had, over the decades, produced skilled professionals who had become central to accountability systems at federal, state and local government levels.
He noted that deeper collaboration with BPP would strengthen national public financial management.
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