Nigeria's procurement reforms save government N1.5 trillion in 18 months

Nigeria's Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) has announced significant financial savings for the Federal Government, totaling around N1.5 trillion over an 18-month period. These savings, achieved between 2025 and the first half of 2026, are attributed to the implementation of procurement reforms, benchmarking, and tighter controls.

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We needed to adjust our policies; we needed to adjust what we’re doing. In 11 months, take N1.1 trillion out of the N2.2 trillion in 20 years. That’s significant.

Dr. Adebowale Adedokun, Director-General of the BPP, revealed that N1.1 trillion was saved in the first 11 months of 2025, with an additional N400 billion secured in the first six months of 2026. These figures represent funds that would have otherwise been lost from government coffers. Adedokun highlighted the impact of these reforms, noting that the N1.1 trillion saved in just 11 months is a substantial portion of the N2.2 trillion saved over the previous 20 years (2007-2025).

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Between just the first half of this year, if I’m correct, I’ve already clocked close to N400 billion in what would have been lost, as a result of benchmarking and putting the right stoppers in naira, in dollars and in euros.

The reforms are largely driven by digitalization, with the BPP now exclusively accepting virtual submissions and no longer processing manual applications. This digital shift aims to reduce opportunities for manipulation within the procurement processes. The Bureau is also discouraging selective tendering, imposing stricter scrutiny for approvals of such procedures and encouraging entities to opt for open advertising instead.

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Already today, nobody sends documents to BPP manually anymore. We won’t accept it. So this can be done anywhere now and submitted virtually. So this is reducing the opportunity for people to manipulate the processes as we continue.

Adedokun urged civil society organizations to broaden their oversight to state governments, emphasizing that a large volume of public funds is managed at the sub-national level. He questioned the procurement practices and loan guarantees at the state level, particularly when federal guarantees are involved. The BPP credits collaboration with civil society and development partners for its progress.

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People now know that selective tendering is going down. I mean, now you’ll suffer well for me to give you approval for selective tendering. During the period it will take us to give you selective tendering, you better advertise. That’s the dimension we are going.