The Director-General of the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), Dr. Adebowale Adedokun, has said public procurement must move beyond paperwork to become a driver of national development, declaring that under the present administration "every Naira must deliver value."

Adedokun spoke on Monday in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, at the opening ceremony of the 2026 Mandatory Continuous Public Procurement Capacity Development Training Programme (MCPPCDTP) – Foundation/Beginners Course.

The programme, organised in two batches, brings together about 700 procurement officers from Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) across the Federal Public Service.

The opening ceremony was attended by key stakeholders in the procurement and public service ecosystem, including the Director-General of the Rivers State Bureau of Public Procurement, Dr. Engr. Ine T. Briggs, who gave a goodwill message, and the representative of the Executive Secretary of the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF), Mr. Waziristan Laisu, who also delivered a goodwill message.

The keynote address was delivered by Prof. Babatunde Bernard, who represented the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume. Prof. Bernard formally declared the training programme open.

Describing the training as both professional and transformational, the BPP DG said procurement could no longer be viewed as a mere administrative routine.

"Public procurement is a strategic instrument for national development, fiscal discipline, value for money, improved service delivery and economic growth," he said.

He noted that the difference between successful and failed public interventions often lies in the quality of procurement planning, contract management and monitoring.

Adedokun said the training is coming at a critical time in the implementation of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's Renewed Hope Agenda, which seeks to strengthen institutions and ensure public resources translate into measurable outcomes for Nigerians.

He thanked President Tinubu for his support for procurement reforms, including digitalisation, enhanced procurement planning, standardisation of bidding documents and capacity building.

Why Return To Basics

Addressing participants who questioned why experienced officers were attending a beginners course, Adedokun said no professional is too experienced to revisit fundamentals.

"We return to the foundation not because we know nothing, but to ensure that what we know is correct, current and consistently applied," he said, adding that the course is only a starting point for higher academic and professional training through centres of excellence in six federal universities.

From Compliance To Performance

The BPP boss outlined key reform directions shaping the future of procurement in Nigeria:

- Digitalisation and e-procurement to replace paper-based processes and strengthen audit trails

- Price intelligence and benchmarking to check inflated costs

- Procurement surveillance beyond contract award to actual delivery

- Contractor classification to match projects with verified capacity

- Nigeria First Policy to support local industry without compromising quality

- Professionalisation of the procurement cadre

"Systems do not implement procurement. People do," he said.

He also announced the establishment of a national Community of Practice bringing together federal and state procurement leadership to end isolated reforms and promote peer learning.

"Nigeria needs a procurement system in which good ideas travel. If one state develops an effective e-procurement solution, others should be able to learn from it," he said.

Adedokun stressed that procurement reform must be a collective responsibility involving anti-corruption agencies, professional bodies, civil society, academia and the private sector.

Procurement As Investment And Job Creation Tool

Adedokun said procurement must deliberately become an instrument for economic development, noting that government remains the largest purchaser of goods, works and services.

"How government spends therefore influences markets, businesses, investment and employment," he said.

He explained that transparent and competitive procurement improves investor confidence, while the Nigeria First Policy can deliberately encourage local production, strengthen Nigerian enterprises, support SMEs, develop artisans and professionals, and retain greater economic value within the country.

"When Nigerian businesses grow, they employ Nigerians. When industries expand, new skills are developed. When public contracts are successfully delivered, infrastructure improves and further private investment becomes possible," he said.

He therefore charged procurement officers to understand that their decisions contribute directly to investment, industrial development and job creation.

---Ethics And Integrity Non-Negotiable---

The DG warned that no reform can succeed without ethical values, stressing that knowledge without integrity is dangerous.

"You must therefore build your careers around honesty, fairness, transparency, impartiality, accountability, professionalism and service to the public interest," he said.

"Never allow personal interest, political pressure, friendship or financial inducement to determine a procurement decision. Remember always that public money is a public trust."

He urged officers to subject every major decision to three tests: "Is it lawful? Is it ethical? Does it deliver value to the Nigerian people?"

"If we build a procurement system around these principles, we will strengthen public confidence and make procurement an important instrument in the fight against corruption," he added.

Your Recommendations Have Consequences

Charging the 700 officers to see themselves as change agents, Adedokun said the impact of procurement goes far beyond files on a desk.

"A poor procurement decision can contribute to a failed road. A compromised evaluation can result in an unequipped hospital," he warned.

He listed four watchwords for the three-week training: Competence, Integrity, Value and Accountability.

"Do not just attend - learn. Do not just obtain a certificate - build competence. Do not simply process procurement - deliver value," he told participants.

Mentorship And Professional Development

Adedokun also tasked experienced officers to mentor younger colleagues and deliberately transfer knowledge.

"This programme should also mark the beginning of a continuous professional development journey," he said, encouraging participants to pursue higher professional qualifications and specialised training.

"We must build a procurement profession where knowledge is transferred from one generation to another. Our legacy should not simply be the contracts we processed, but also the professionals we developed."

According to him, the ultimate test of the Renewed Hope Agenda will not be policies announced or budgets appropriated, but results experienced by citizens through better roads, hospitals, schools and services.

"When procurement is transparent, competitive and predictable, it builds investor confidence, strengthens local industries, creates jobs and develops the next generation of professionals," he added.

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