The Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) has inaugurated the Forum of State Directors-General of Public Procurement, with stakeholders calling for stronger transparency, accountability and efficiency in the management of public funds across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
The forum was inaugurated on Tuesday at the NGF Secretariat in Abuja, bringing together Directors-General of state procurement agencies and their equivalents, as well as development partners and other stakeholders in the sector.
Speaking at the ceremony, NGF Director-General, Abdulallateef Shittu, said the initiative came at a critical period when Nigeria was seeking to recalibrate its economic architecture and improve public spending.
Shittu described public procurement as a major component of budget implementation and government project delivery, urging state procurement authorities to uphold professionalism, transparency and efficiency.
He said the new forum had an important role to play in ensuring that public resources were used judiciously to deliver meaningful development to citizens.
BPP Boss Backs Forum
The Director-General of the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), Adebowale Adedokun, said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was aware of the inauguration of the Committee of Practice of Public Procurement and had expressed support for the initiative.
Adedokun said the development was in line with the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda and its objective of improving living standards and reducing poverty.
He described the forum as a significant development in Nigeria’s public procurement history, stressing that an effective and transparent procurement system could attract foreign direct investment, boost economic growth and stimulate domestic industries.
He charged members to adhere strictly to due process, fairness and transparency in the implementation of public projects.
ADSC, DDI hail Adedokun
Also speaking, Dr Osahanze Idahosa, who represented the President/CEO of the Africa Development Studies Centre (ADSC) and Douglas Development Institute (DDI), commended Adedokun for what he described as an enabling environment for collaboration and capacity development in the procurement sector.
Idahosa said Adedokun’s openness to partnerships had allowed ADSC and DDI to contribute to efforts aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s procurement system.
He described the inauguration as an important development for procurement reform, particularly at the state level.
“Subnational procurement systems are where policy meets people, where transparency and value for money either take root or falter,” he said.
He urged the new leadership of the forum to strengthen accountability, professionalism, efficiency and transparency in public procurement across the states.
According to him, ADSC and DDI had supported procurement transformation through capacity-building programmes, study exchanges and institutional development initiatives.
Idahosa recalled a study exchange to South Africa involving one of the forum’s members, saying the experience highlighted the need to extend procurement reforms achieved at the federal level to the subnational level.
He said public procurement was too important to governance to be left to isolated efforts, stressing the need for cooperation among federal and state institutions.
He further noted that public procurement accounts for an estimated 15 to 30 per cent of GDP and is linked to between 50 and 60 per cent of leakages in public financial management.
ADSC and DDI pledged continued support to the forum through training, research, knowledge-sharing platforms and international study exchanges.
New chairman promises result-oriented forum
In his acceptance speech, the newly elected chairman of the forum, Ehimoni Ibiyomi, described his emergence as the beginning of a new institutional chapter for public procurement regulation and professional practice at the subnational level.
Ibiyomi thanked his colleagues for the confidence reposed in him, stressing that the leadership of the forum would be based on collective responsibility and institutional cooperation.
“Today is not simply another meeting or gathering of procurement regulators. It represents the beginning of a new institutional chapter in our collective efforts to strengthen public procurement administration, regulation and professional practice at the sub-national level in Nigeria,” he said.
He also expressed appreciation to the NGF Secretariat for providing the platform for the formal inauguration and recognition of the forum.
According to him, the forum’s relationship with the political leadership of the states would be crucial to achieving effective procurement regulation and ensuring that procurement received the strategic attention required in governance and development.
Ibiyomi also acknowledged the support of the federal BPP, stressing that the state procurement authorities were not seeking to compete with the federal agency but to complement national procurement reforms.
He called for stronger collaboration with the BPP in technical support, capacity building, professional development, regulatory knowledge-sharing, research, standardisation and procurement reform.
The new chairman also commended the World Bank, particularly the team working under SPESSE, for supporting efforts to strengthen public procurement systems and professional capacity in Nigeria.
He said the forum would seek partnerships with development agencies in areas including professionalisation of state procurement institutions, continuous training, sustainable procurement, digital procurement, procurement data management, performance measurement and institutional strengthening.
Ibiyomi further acknowledged the African Development Study Center, Association of Procurement Professionals of Nigeria, Corporate Affairs Commission and other stakeholders, noting that procurement reform required collaboration across institutions.
He said the forum would build strategic partnerships with organisations whose mandates could contribute to improving procurement practices across the states.
“Our vision is to build a strong, professional, collaborative and nationally recognised platform for the Heads of State Public Procurement Regulatory Authorities, capable of contributing meaningfully to procurement reform and good governance in Nigeria.
“We want a Forum that does not merely meet, but delivers,” he added.
The inauguration marks a new phase in efforts to strengthen coordination among state procurement regulators and deepen public procurement reforms across Nigeria.
