News Investigators/ Adebowale Adedokun, Director-General, Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), says procurement reforms under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda have reduced the Federal Executive Council’s involvement in routine contract approvals.
Mr Adedokun, who spoke at the Inaugural Hosting of “The Procurement Evolution” in Abuja on Thursday, said the development had enabled the council to focus more on strategic policy decisions and national governance issues.
He said the development followed the review of procurement thresholds across the Federal Public Service to reflect prevailing economic realities, inflationary pressures and changing market conditions, and the need to accelerate budget implementation.
According to him, the upward review has delegated more procurement responsibilities to ministerial and parastatal tenders boards and accounting officers, thereby significantly reducing unnecessary bottlenecks while preserving transparency and accountability.
“Crucially, as a direct consequence of these upwardly revised thresholds, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) has been significantly unburdened from routine contract approvals.
“The FEC rarely meets to deliberate on contract awards anymore, shifting its executive focus instead toward high-level policy discussions and strategic national governance,” he said.
Mr Adedokun attributed the reforms to Tinubu’s support for due process and insistence on strict compliance with procurement regulations by Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
He said the bureau had strengthened compliance enforcement, monitoring mechanisms and accountability measures to ensure adherence to procurement laws.
Giving a highlight on the bureau’s achievements, Mr Adedokun said the administration had introduced a mandatory 14-working-day standstill period before contract execution to allow for the resolution of procurement-related grievances.
The BPP boss further disclosed that Tinubu had directed that all contract variations must receive BPP approval to prevent cost inflation and safeguard public funds.
On transparency, he said MDAs were now required to publish monthly contract award information and quarterly performance reports, while the bureau had deployed price intelligence tools and a national automated project monitoring platform to improve oversight.
Mr Adedokun said digital transformation remained a key pillar of the reforms, with the deployment of electronic procurement platforms and the establishment of a Nigeria E-Marketplace to reduce human interference and corruption risks.
He added that the reforms through the Nigeria First Policy were also designed to promote indigenous participation in key sectors, including infrastructure, information and communication technology, agriculture, renewable energy, textiles and automobile manufacturing.
According to him, the bureau is implementing targeted programmes to support women-owned businesses, local communities and small and medium-scale enterprises through public procurement opportunities.
Mr Adedokun said the bureau had equally prioritised professionalisation through certification programmes, capacity-building initiatives and specialised procurement-related academic courses in selected universities.
He reaffirmed the bureau’s commitment to ensuring value for money in public spending and strengthening citizens’ confidence in government institutions.
The pioneer Director-General of the BPP, Emeka Ezeh, called for greater adoption of technology in public procurement processes.
Mr Ezeh said procurement reform in Nigeria had reached a stage where technology should serve as the primary driver of implementation.
He noted that delayed payments in contract execution often compelled contractors to factor additional risks into their bids, contributing to higher contract costs.
Mr Ezeh stressed the need for timely fulfilment of contractual obligations by all parties to improve efficiency and value for money in public procurement.
He urged the Federal Government to designate June 4 as National Procurement Day to provide a platform for stakeholders to review and advise on public procurement as a strategic instrument for national development.
The News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) reports that the event, with the theme “The Procurement Evolution: Honouring the Past, Powering the Future,” was organised by the BPP to commemorate 19 years of the establishment of the BPP.
NAN