BPP DG Charges Civil Society To Ensure Procurement Accountability

The Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) has urged Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) to move beyond monitoring the award of public contracts to tracking whether such contracts ultimately deliver the projects and services promised to Nigerians.

Director-General, Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), Dr Adebowale Adedokun, made the call at the BPP-CSO Engagement 2.0 held on Thursday in Abuja.

He said procurement accountability should not end with determining whether a contract was properly awarded.

According to him, CSOs should also monitor projects from procurement planning and contract awards through implementation and service delivery, particularly projects that directly affect communities.

The BPP boss said: “We should not monitor procurement only by asking: ‘Was the contract awarded correctly?’
“We should also ask: ‘Did the contract deliver what Nigerians were promised?’

“Was the hospital completed? Did the equipment arrive? Is the road functional? Are the classrooms being used? Did the community receive potable water?

“Was value for money achieved? That is where procurement accountability must ultimately lead.”

He said public procurement was ultimately about development, noting that every procurement decision could affect hospitals, schools, roads, electricity supply, security, agriculture, employment, and the quality of public services available to citizens.

Adedokun said the Bureau was seeking a more structured partnership with civil society to strengthen transparency, accountability, and citizen participation in public procurement.

He proposed the establishment of a BPP-CSO Public Procurement Partnership Framework, which would focus on five areas: capacity building, access to procurement information and data, procurement and project monitoring, reporting and early warning, and citizens’ engagement.

According to him, credible CSOs should be equipped to understand procurement legislation, procurement processes, Standard Bidding Documents, contract management, open contracting data, and procurement red flags.

He called for greater use of procurement information and open contracting data to enable CSOs to undertake evidence-based monitoring rather than rely on speculation.

The BPP chief said civil society could help monitor selected projects from procurement planning and contract awards through implementation and service delivery while also providing channels for communicating credible procurement concerns, red flags and implementation challenges.

He stressed that the partnership must not compromise the independence of civil society organisations.

He added: “We do not expect Civil Society Organisations to become an extension of government.

“We expect you to ask questions. We expect you to examine the evidence. We expect you to identify weaknesses. And where necessary, we expect you to challenge us constructively,” he said.

He, however, urged CSOs to ensure that their criticism was evidence-based, while government institutions must remain prepared to listen and respond transparently.

On ongoing reforms, the director-general said the BPP was increasingly focused on moving public procurement beyond procedural compliance towards performance, transparency, integrity and measurable development outcomes.

He listed areas receiving attention to include procurement reviews and due process, price intelligence, procurement surveillance and audit, monitoring and evaluation, contractor classification and categorisation, increased participation of small and medium enterprises, and implementation of the Nigeria First Policy.

He said the Bureau was also strengthening its digital procurement architecture through platforms including the Nigeria Open Contracting Portal (NOCOPO), the Contractors, Consultants and Service Providers platform, the National Procurement Officers Management System and the Nigerian Public Procurement Certification Programme.

He said civil society’s participation in procurement oversight was already recognised under the Public Procurement Act 2007,BPP DG Charges Civil Socirty To Ensure Procurement Accountability

THE WHISTLER

The Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) has urged Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) to move beyond monitoring the award of public contracts to tracking whether such contracts ultimately deliver the projects and services promised to Nigerians.

Director-General, Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), Dr Adebowale Adedokun made the call at the BPP-CSO Engagement 2.0 held on Thursday in Abuja.

He said procurement accountability should not end with determining whether a contract was properly awarded.

According to him, CSOs should also monitor projects from procurement planning and contract awards through implementation and service delivery, particularly projects that directly affect communities.

The BPP boss said: “We should not monitor procurement only by asking: ‘Was the contract awarded correctly?’
“We should also ask: ‘Did the contract deliver what Nigerians were promised?’

“Was the hospital completed? Did the equipment arrive? Is the road functional? Are the classrooms being used? Did the community receive potable water?

“Was value for money achieved? That is where procurement accountability must ultimately lead.”

He said public procurement was ultimately about development, noting that every procurement decision could affect hospitals, schools, roads, electricity supply, security, agriculture, employment, and the quality of public services available to citizens.

Adedokun said the Bureau was seeking a more structured partnership with civil society to strengthen transparency, accountability, and citizen participation in public procurement.

He proposed the establishment of a BPP-CSO Public Procurement Partnership Framework, which would focus on five areas: capacity building, access to procurement information and data, procurement and project monitoring, reporting and early warning, and citizens’ engagement.

According to him, credible CSOs should be equipped to understand procurement legislation, procurement processes, Standard Bidding Documents, contract management, open contracting data, and procurement red flags.

He called for greater use of procurement information and open contracting data to enable CSOs to undertake evidence-based monitoring rather than rely on speculation.

The BPP chief said civil society could help monitor selected projects from procurement planning and contract awards through implementation and service delivery while also providing channels for communicating credible procurement concerns, red flags, and implementation challenges.

He stressed that the partnership must not compromise the independence of civil society organisations.

He added: “We do not expect Civil Society Organisations to become an extension of government.

“We expect you to ask questions. We expect you to examine the evidence. We expect you to identify weaknesses. And where necessary, we expect you to challenge us constructively,” he said.

He, however, urged CSOs to ensure that their criticism was evidence-based, while government institutions must remain prepared to listen and respond transparently.

On ongoing reforms, the director-general said the BPP was increasingly focused on moving public procurement beyond procedural compliance towards performance, transparency, integrity, and measurable development outcomes.

He listed areas receiving attention to include procurement reviews and due process, price intelligence, procurement surveillance and audit, monitoring and evaluation, contractor classification and categorisation, increased participation of small and medium enterprises, and implementation of the Nigeria First Policy.

He said the Bureau was also strengthening its digital procurement architecture through platforms including the Nigeria Open Contracting Portal (NOCOPO), the Contractors, Consultants and Service Providers platform, the National Procurement Officers Management System and the Nigerian Public Procurement Certification Programme.

He said civil society’s participation in procurement oversight was already recognised under the Public Procurement Act 2007, noting that Section 19 provides for credible observers, including representatives of non-governmental organisations working in transparency, accountability and anti-corruption.

He said such observers have the right to submit their observations to relevant authorities.

Adedokun said the proposed amendment to the Public Procurement Act was part of the wider reform programme, stressing that any amendment must go through the appropriate legislative process.

Noting that the greater efficiency in procurement must not come at the expense of accountability, he said removing unnecessary delays must not mean removing essential safeguards.

The BPP boss said the government could not independently monitor every procurement transaction and project across the country, just as civil society, the private sector, and procurement regulators could not reform the system alone.

He urged CSOs to join the Bureau in developing the proposed partnership framework, supported by clear rules of engagement, capacity development, access to appropriate procurement data, independent monitoring, feedback mechanisms and periodic procurement reform dialogue.

He said the success of the partnership should ultimately be measured by the projects we improve, waste we prevent, transparency we create, communities we empower, and public value we deliver. noting that Section 19 provides for credible observers, including representatives of non-governmental organisations working in transparency, accountability, and anti-corruption.

He said such observers have the right to submit their observations to relevant authorities.

Adedokun said the proposed amendment to the Public Procurement Act was part of the wider reform programme, stressing that any amendment must go through the appropriate legislative process.

Noting that the greater efficiency in procurement must not come at the expense of accountability, he said removing unnecessary delays must not mean removing essential safeguards.

The BPP boss said the government could not independently monitor every procurement transaction and project across the country, just as civil society, the private sector, and procurement regulators could not reform the system alone.

He urged CSOs to join the Bureau in developing the proposed partnership framework, supported by clear rules of engagement, capacity development, access to appropriate procurement data, independent monitoring, feedback mechanisms and periodic procurement reform dialogue.

He said the success of the partnership should ultimately be measured by the projects we improve, waste we prevent, transparency we create, communities we empower, and public value we deliver.