The Director-General of the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), Adebowale Adedokun, has applauded Bola Tinubu for his commitment to institutional reform, procurement integrity and public sector transparency.
Adedokun said that under President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, the Bureau has been given a clear mandate to enforce standards, elevate professionalism and reposition public procurement as a strategic tool for national development.
He made the commendation at the opening ceremony of the 2025 Mandatory Continuous Public Procurement Capacity Development Training Programme (MCPCDTP), Batch B, held at the PTDF Centre for Skills Development and Training in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
According to him, the training programme aligns with the Public Procurement Act (PPA) 2007, which seeks to ensure transparency, efficiency and value for money in government procurement of goods, works and services.
Adedokun said the capacity-building initiative demonstrates the Bureau’s sustained commitment to institutionalising a cadre of trained, certified and accountable procurement professionals, adding that the programme is designed to strengthen competence, ethical standards and professionalism within Nigeria’s procurement system.
He explained that as a regulator, the BPP is tasked with harmonising government procurement policies, publicising and interpreting the provisions of the PPA, organising training programmes and coordinating capacity development across institutions.
Urging participants to engage fully in the training, Adedokun stressed that Nigeria needs competent and courageous procurement officers who will uphold due process at all times.
Speaking on reforms recorded under the current administration, he said procurement thresholds have been reviewed to reflect present economic realities, while Standard Bidding Documents and the Procurement Manual have been revised to eliminate ambiguities, close loopholes and promote consistency across ministries, departments and agencies.
He added that the Bureau’s procurement audit framework has been strengthened, market intelligence expanded and collaboration deepened with accountability institutions, including the Code of Conduct Bureau.
Adedokun warned that there would be zero tolerance for misconduct, stressing that procurement officers who fail to build capacity or adhere to ethical standards would not progress in their careers. He also said defaulting contractors would be sanctioned and blacklisted in line with the President’s directive.
He disclosed that more than 8,000 procurement officers have been trained since the tenure of Engr. Emeka Ezeh, noting that the Bureau intends to sustain the momentum and tap into the experience of retiring professionals.
In his remarks, the Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, Samuel Ogbuku, said the Commission’s procurement processes would be fully automated by the end of the first quarter of the year to enhance compliance, transparency and service delivery.
Ogbuku noted that NDDC has reformed its corporate governance structure and internal processes, adding that staff training and retraining remain central to the Commission’s transformation agenda.
Delivering the keynote address, Chairman of the FCT Civil Service Commission, Emeka Ezeh, described procurement as a powerful tool for good governance and anti-corruption, urging officers to internalise the priority areas of the Renewed Hope Agenda.
About 300 participants drawn from 150 local government areas and 170 agencies attended the training programme.
By Blessing Ibunge, Port Harcourt
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