Tinubu’s Non-interference Driving Procurement Reforms

The director-general of the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), Adebowale Adedokun, has credited President Bola Tinubu’s hands-off approach as a decisive factor in advancing reforms within Nigeria’s public procurement system.

He said the Federal Executive Council (FEC) had been significantly unburdened of routine contract approvals as a result.

At the inaugural “Procurement Evolution” event in Abuja, yesterday, Adedokun outlined reforms undertaken since his appointment, anchored on legal modernisation, digital transformation, and economic nationalism.

Central to these efforts is the recent upward review of procurement thresholds, which he said reflects current economic realities and has streamlined governance at the highest levels.

He noted that the Bureau has overcome numerous challenges over the years to become one of the federal government’s most recognised institutions, driven by the contributions of past leaders, staff and stakeholders.

The event, themed “Honouring the Past, Powering the Future,” marked the anniversary of the Public Procurement Act signed into law on June 4, 2007, by the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.

According to the DG, President Tinubu has extended executive support, characterised by a principled stance of non-interference and an insistence that all ministries, departments, and agencies comply strictly with due process.

He also revealed a presidential directive requiring all contract variations to receive explicit BPP review and approval to curb fiscal inflation.

He said, “As a direct consequence of these upwardly revised thresholds, the Federal Executive Council has been significantly unburdened from routine contract approvals.

The FEC rarely meets to deliberate on contract awards anymore, shifting its executive focus instead toward high-level policy discussions and strategic national governance.

Procurement reform is not an end in itself. It is a means to an end, a Nigeria where public resources are used judiciously, where citizens trust their government and where development accelerates because corruption is curtailed,” Adedokun said.

These are not mere policies; they are victories for Nigeria. They are proof that when leadership is visionary and support is unwavering, reforms thrive.”

Other highlighted initiatives, he added, include the institutionalisation of a mandatory 14-working-day standstill period for dispute resolution before contract execution, the deployment of the Nigeria E-Market digital platform, and the introduction of a “Nigeria First Policy” prioritising indigenous businesses across strategic sectors, including automobile manufacturing, renewable energy and ICT.

The event also honoured foundational figures in the procurement reform journey, with Adedokun paying tribute to Dr. Obiageli Ezekwesili and Prof. Kunle Ade Wahab for their pioneering leadership of the BMPIU.