The Director-General of the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), Dr. Adebowale A. Adedokun, FCIPS, ACFE said that plan was afoot by the Bureau to begin issuance of practice license for those carrying out procurement training.
Adedokun dropped the hint while delivering his leynote address at the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors’ (NIQS) National Workshop, held at the International Conference Centre, Enugu, on July 31, 2025.
He stated that this would help to eliminate quacks, build, and institutionalise a new crop of highly trained procurement professionals.
Adedokun stressed the need for members to update their knowledge to align with current realities, even as he declared that, “Nigeria now has no choice than to adopt technology in managing its procurement processes.”
He explained that “the Public Procurement Act, 2007 provides that the BPP should set standards, harmonize existing policies and guidelines, frameworks, and professional capability.”
The DG said that the BPP was also working closely with the Federal Ministry of Justice to deploy a debarment procedure in checkmating violators, adding that the procedure would spell out details of sanctions that would be applied against those who violated the law.
Adedokun took the opportunity of his keynote to call on members of NIQS to collaborate with BPP in carrying out procurement audit since they have offices in the 36 states.
He said that in “line with Mr. President’s Renewed Hope Agenda for Procurement Reform, under the Nigeria’s First Policy, those who design should not supervise and vice versa. This is in support of the local content policy and gives equal opportunities.”
Adedokun, while dwelling on the theme of his paper: “Standardizing Procurement Excellence: Enhancing Transparency and Efficiency through the Nigerian Bureau of Public Procurement’s Standard Bidding Documents (SBDs),” stated that the newly revised Standard Bidding Documents were not static, but rather live document that would continue to be updated in line with new challenges, global trends and uniqueness of Nigeria.
He emphasised that the use of Standard Bidding Documents was a legal obligation as stipulated by the Public Procurement Act (PPA) 2007 and not a matter of discretion.
He said: “Standard Bidding Documents are not just templates—they are tools of fairness, instruments of efficiency, and gateways to transparency. They eliminate ambiguity, reduce manipulation, and foster a level playing field.”
He tied procurement reform to the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, stressing that the reform must translate into real, measurable benefits for all Nigerians.
In this regard, he announced the rollout of 17 newly revised SBDs, customized to cover a wide range of procurement categories—from goods and consultancy services to complex infrastructure and defense acquisitions.
He said that among the major reforms introduced under his leadership were upgrade of the Nigerian Open Contracting Portal (NOCOPO), which had already saved the nation over ₦173 billion in six months through enhanced price intelligence and transparency; and implementation of E-Procurement Systems designed to reduce human interference and enhance traceability of transactions.
Other notable achievements, he said, included Raised Approval Thresholds resulting in up to 300% reduction in processing time for selected procurement categories and Strategic Partnerships, which enhanced engagement with global development institutions such as the World Bank, UNDP, and African Development Bank (AFDB) to build procurement capacity and combat corruption.
Adedokun called on Quantity Surveyors to serve as vanguards of transparency and champions of value-for-money, urging them to adopt, promote, and enforce the use of SBDs across both public and private sector projects.
He shared upcoming initiatives, which, he said, included: Affirmative procurement policies for SMEs and marginalized groups, Community-based procurement models to boost local content and participation, and Revival of the National Conference on Public Procurement as a critical policy dialogue platform.
“With your continued partnership, we will redefine procurement—not as a bureaucratic bottleneck, but as a bold, strategic instrument of national transformation,” he stated.
He underscored the need to shift from outputs to outcomes in delivering dividends of democracy to the people of Nigeria, adding that procurement was a multi-disciplinary profession that required the cooperation of all professional bodies
He assured the Institute that BPP would provide the enabling environment for a sense of belonging to all.
The workshop attracted leading procurement professionals, academics, policymakers, and development stakeholders, united in the mission to drive procurement excellence and governance reforms across Nigeria.
Signed
Zira Zakka Nagga
Head of Public Relations (BPP)
5 August 2025
