BPP DG: Blame us, not government, if projects stall due to procurement failures
The Director General of the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), Dr. Adebowale Adedokun, has urged Nigerians to hold procurement officials accountable—not President Bola Tinubu or state governors—if roads and other infrastructure projects fail due to procurement lapses.
Speaking on Tuesday in Abuja at an educational symposium hosted by the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS), Nigeria Branch, Adedokun emphasized that procurement professionals play a critical role in enabling political leaders to realize their governance objectives. The event, themed “Driving Value and Sustainability in Resource-Limited Settings via Strategic Procurement”, featured CIPS Global CEO Ben Farrell, MBE, as a panelist.
“In any instance where professional advice from procurement officers is lacking or flawed, resulting in failed project execution, those officers should be held responsible,” Adedokun stated. “Procurement officers who mislead their superiors, along with accounting officers who fail in their duties, will be held accountable. This applies across all levels of government.”
He further revealed that the BPP is collaborating closely with anti-corruption agencies to enforce accountability in public procurement.
At the symposium, Adedokun was also recognized as a chartered Procurement and Supply Professional, becoming the 913th global fellow of CIPS. He used the opportunity to stress BPP’s commitment to capacity building, stating that training and equipping procurement officers is a foundational step in reform.
“You can’t judge someone who hasn’t been properly trained. That’s why we are investing in skills development through online and hands-on training, particularly via the Sustainable Procurement, Environmental and Social Standards Enhancement (SPESSE) project,” he said. “We lost a decade, and we need to catch up.”
Highlighting the gap in skilled manpower for ongoing national projects, Adedokun said BPP is mobilizing professionals across sectors to monitor, evaluate, and report on progress directly to the President.
“If we find things being done poorly, we’ll recommend disciplinary action in line with the Public Procurement Act of 2007. This is how we will prevent financial losses and help transform Nigeria into the ‘Dubai of Africa.’”
In a post-event media chat, Adedokun announced that BPP is working to streamline procurement processes through digital platforms, reducing bureaucratic bottlenecks and improving access to business opportunities across the country.
“Our goal is to scale from small and medium projects to major national initiatives,” he said. “We’re using procurement not just to award contracts, but as a tool for economic development—creating opportunities for women, youth, people with disabilities, and growing local industries.”
He added that the strategy would help curb the “Japa” syndrome by giving young Nigerians a stake in the nation’s growth through contract opportunities and entrepreneurship.
Earlier, Ambassador Daniel Etameta, Northern Coordinator of CIPS Nigeria Branch, described the symposium as timely and necessary, emphasizing the strategic importance of procurement in strengthening national systems.
He praised the leadership of Dr. Adedokun for driving critical reforms, stating, “Procurement is not just about money—it’s about value, sustainability, and impact on lives. It’s time we focus on reducing waste, ensuring transparency, and building a robust supply chain.”
