BPP unveils new plan to eliminate procurement fraud in govt contracts

The Director-General of the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), Adebowale Adedokun, has unveiled a new vision to eliminate procurement fraud in the country.

This was the central focus of a press conference themed “Renewed Hope Through Strategic Procurement”, which was held in Abuja on Monday.

Mr Adedokun stated that the goal is to eliminate procurement fraud and ensure that the federal government obtains optimal value for all its contracts.

“The new vision is anchored on three key pillars: transparency and accountability; competence, efficiency, integrity, and innovation; and inclusivity and economic growth,” he said.

He explained that, in the coming year, the BPP plans to deploy an electronic procurement system to allow government agencies to conduct e-advertisements, improving cost efficiency and transparency.

The BPP will also focus on enhancing career development for procurement officers and strengthening partnerships with anti-corruption agencies and other stakeholders.

“Inclusivity will remain a cornerstone of our strategy, and we will strengthen our oversight functions by implementing categorisation and classification systems for contractors and construction,” he said.

Mr Adedokun further outlined that the bureau would adopt intelligence and benchmarking systems to regularly review and update policies and practices to stay aligned with prevailing standards.

He noted that the BPP would address ongoing challenges, such as project implementation delays, capacity gaps, and limited awareness.

“These challenges present opportunities for growth, innovation, and the establishment of new benchmarks for public procurement excellence in Nigeria.

“By leveraging technology, fostering collaboration, and empowering our workforce, we will overcome these obstacles and set a new standard for public procurement excellence in Nigeria,” Mr Adedokun added.

The D-G also mentioned that sanctions would be imposed for poor conduct, while good practices would be rewarded.

He stressed that the BPP would work closely with anti-corruption agencies to ensure that violations of public procurement practices are met with stringent penalties.

“Agencies that adopt open, transparent, and competitive procurement procedures in line with BPP standards will be openly recognised.

“We will enter into Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with relevant anti-corruption agencies to enforce appropriate standards,” he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that also present at the press briefing were the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Musa Aliu, and the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Bureau, Abdullahi Bello.

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Others present included the Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), Orji Ogbonaya, and a representative from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

They all pledged to support the BPP in realising its vision to eliminate procurement fraud and other corrupt practices associated with the award of government contracts.

(NAN)