BPP unveils reform to digitalise, modernise public procurement

Nigeria’s Bureau of Public Procurement is seeking to turn government purchasing into a more digital, transparent and economically strategic system. The bureau unveiled a broad procurement transformation programme at the 2026 BAVCCA/BPP Procurement Performance Conference in Abuja.

The programme centres on digitalisation, professionalisation, compliance and the strategic use of government spending. It also calls for stronger partnerships with the media and digital content creators to improve public scrutiny of expenditure.

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Procurement is not merely a government process, it is a development instrument, an economic driver, and a powerful catalyst for national transformation.

BPP Director-General Adebowale Adedokun, represented at the conference by the Director of Civil Infrastructure, Nasir Bello, described the programme as one of the most ambitious procurement modernisation efforts in Nigeria’s history. He said procurement affects how public funds become roads, hospitals, schools, security infrastructure and other development projects.

“Procurement is not merely a government process, it is a development instrument, an economic driver, and a powerful catalyst for national transformation,” Adedokun said. He added: “When procurement succeeds, citizens benefit. When procurement fails, development suffers. This is why procurement reform is not simply an administrative exercise; it is a national imperative.”

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When procurement succeeds, citizens benefit. When procurement fails, development suffers. This is why procurement reform is not simply an administrative exercise; it is a national imperative.

A central element will be an electronic government procurement system that automates key stages across public institutions. The bureau said the system should reduce manual intervention, strengthen audit trails, enable real-time monitoring and produce more reliable data for evidence-based decisions.

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It is not simply digitization. It is a transformation.

Adedokun said the reform went beyond replacing paper with digital platforms. “It is not simply digitization. It is a transformation,” he said. The programme also incorporates the Federal Government’s Nigeria First policy, under which public spending is intended to stimulate domestic industries, create jobs, promote innovation and retain more economic value in Nigeria.

“Government spending must not merely purchase products and services. It must create opportunities. It must strengthen the industry. It must retain value within our economy,” Adedokun said.

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Government spending must not merely purchase products and services. It must create opportunities. It must strengthen the industry. It must retain value within our economy.