The Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) has inaugurated the Forum of State Directors-General of Public Procurement, in a move aimed at strengthening transparency, accountability, professionalism and efficiency in public spending across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
The inauguration took place on Tuesday at the NGF Secretariat in Abuja and was attended by Directors-General of the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), or their equivalents, from the states and the FCT, as well as development partners and other stakeholders in the procurement sector.
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Speaking at the ceremony, the Director-General of the NGF, Abdulallateef Shittu, said the inauguration came at a critical period when Nigeria was seeking to recalibrate its economic architecture.
Shittu stressed the enormous responsibility before state procurement authorities, noting that public procurement was central to effective budget implementation and the delivery of government projects.
He urged members of the forum to uphold professionalism, transparency and efficiency in the discharge of their responsibilities.
The Director-General of the federal BPP, Adebowale Adedokun, said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was aware of the inauguration of the Committee of Practice of Public Procurement and had given his support to the initiative.
According to Adedokun, the initiative aligns with the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda and its commitment to improving living standards and reducing poverty.
He described the inauguration as a significant development in Nigeria’s procurement history, stressing that an effective and transparent procurement system could attract foreign direct investment, boost GDP and stimulate the growth of domestic industries.
Adedokun urged members of the forum to strictly adhere to due process, fairness and transparency in the implementation of public projects.
ADSC, DDI Commend BPP Leadership
In a goodwill message, Dr Osahanze Idahosa, who represented the President/CEO of the Africa Development Studies Centre (ADSC) and Douglas Development Institute (DDI), commended Adedokun for creating an enabling environment for collaboration and capacity development in Nigeria’s procurement sector.
Idahosa said Adedokun’s openness to partnerships had enabled ADSC and DDI to contribute to efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s procurement systems at the federal level.
He described the inauguration as significant not only to the new forum but also to the broader public procurement reform agenda, particularly at the subnational level.
“Subnational procurement systems are where policy meets people, where transparency and value for money either take root or falter,” Idahosa said.
He urged the new leadership of the forum to deepen accountability, efficiency, professionalism and transparency in public procurement across the states.
Idahosa said ADSC and DDI had supported procurement transformation through capacity-building programmes, study exchanges and institutional development initiatives aimed at modernising public spending.
He also recalled a study exchange to South Africa involving one of the forum’s members, saying the experience underscored the need to extend procurement reforms achieved at the federal level to the states.
According to him, public procurement was too important to governance to be left to isolated efforts, stressing the need for collective commitment across federal and subnational institutions.
He further noted that public procurement accounts for an estimated 15 to 30 per cent of GDP and is linked to between 50 and 60 per cent of leakages in public financial management.
ADSC and DDI congratulated the new leadership of the forum and pledged continued support through training, research, knowledge-sharing platforms and international study exchanges.
New Chairman Pledges Collective Leadership
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In his acceptance speech, the newly elected Chairman of the forum, Ehimoni Ibiyomi, described his appointment as the beginning of a new chapter in efforts to strengthen public procurement administration, regulation and professional practice at the subnational level.
“Today is not simply another meeting or gathering of procurement regulators. It represents the beginning of a new institutional chapter in our collective efforts to strengthen public procurement administration, regulation and professional practice at the sub-national level in Nigeria,” Ibiyomi said.
He expressed gratitude to his colleagues for the confidence reposed in him, stressing that the leadership of the forum would be based on collective responsibility rather than individual interests.
“I accept this responsibility with full recognition that the office is not about an individual. It is about collective leadership, institutional cooperation and a shared commitment to improving the quality of public procurement across our States,” he said.
Ibiyomi also expressed appreciation to the leadership and management of the NGF Secretariat for providing a platform for the formal inauguration and recognition of the forum.
He said the NGF’s recognition of the forum would provide an opportunity for procurement to receive greater strategic attention in the governance and development agenda of the states.
“We are particularly grateful for the confidence demonstrated through this engagement, and we assure the Nigerian Governors’ Forum that we will justify this confidence through professionalism, responsibility, transparency and measurable results,” he said.
The new chairman also acknowledged the support of the Federal BPP, stressing that the relationship between the federal and state procurement regulatory authorities should be based on partnership, knowledge exchange, coordination and mutual institutional respect.
“Our Forum does not seek to duplicate or compete with the Federal BPP. Rather, we seek to complement the national procurement reform agenda by strengthening the sub-national procurement institutions and ensuring that the experiences, innovations and challenges of the States are effectively brought into national conversations on procurement reform,” Ibiyomi said.
He said the forum would seek closer collaboration with the BPP in technical support, capacity building, professional development, regulatory knowledge sharing, research, standardisation and procurement reform.
Forum Seeks World Bank, Development Partners’ Support
Ibiyomi also acknowledged the World Bank, particularly the team working under SPESSE, for its continued commitment to strengthening public procurement systems and professional capacity in Nigeria.
He said procurement was increasingly being recognised not merely as an administrative function but as a critical instrument for achieving fiscal responsibility, value for money, infrastructure development, service delivery and sustainable economic development.
“We therefore see development partners not merely as sources of funding, but as strategic partners in institutional development, knowledge transfer, innovation, research, capacity building and sustainable reforms,” he said.
Ibiyomi said the forum was prepared to develop practical programmes capable of attracting technical assistance and partnerships from the World Bank and other development partners.
He listed professionalisation of state procurement institutions, continuous capacity development, sustainable and socially responsible procurement, digital procurement, procurement data management, performance measurement, policy development, institutional strengthening, research, peer learning and exchange programmes among areas where the forum would seek collaboration.
He also acknowledged the presence of the African Development Study Center, the Association of Procurement Professionals of Nigeria, the Corporate Affairs Commission and other stakeholders.
According to him, their participation demonstrated that public procurement reform could not be successfully undertaken in isolation.
“Procurement intersects with corporate governance, business registration and compliance, professional standards, research, finance, technology, infrastructure development and broader public-sector reform,” he said.
Ibiyomi pledged that the forum would pursue strategic partnerships with institutions and organisations whose mandates could contribute to improving the quality and effectiveness of public procurement across the states.
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“As we commence this new chapter, we must be clear about what we want this Forum to become. Our vision is to build a strong, professional, collaborative and nationally recognized platform for the Heads of State Public Procurement Regulatory Authorities, capable of contributing meaningfully to procurement reform and good governance in Nigeria,” he said.
“We want a Forum that does not merely meet, but delivers,” Ibiyomi added.