The Federal Government has charged public procurement officers to uphold integrity, transparency and accountability to ensure value for money in the use of public resources.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Sen. George Akume, gave the charge on Monday in Port Harcourt at the opening of the 2026 Mandatory Continuous Public Procurement Capacity Development Training Programme organised by the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP).
Akume, represented by his Special Assistant (Technical), Prof. Babatunde Benard, said public procurement was critical to translating government policies, budgets and development plans into tangible benefits for Nigerians.
He warned that poor planning, weak contract management and non-compliance with procurement regulations could lead to delays, waste and substandard projects.
“Every naira must deliver measurable value. Procurement should, therefore, be viewed not merely as an administrative process but as a strategic instrument of economic management, accountability and national development,” he said.
Akume urged procurement officers to resist undue influence, conflict of interest, favouritism and attempts to circumvent due process, while embracing digital technologies to improve documentation, transparency and monitoring.
He also urged them to pursue continuous learning and professional excellence, noting that public procurement involved resources held in trust for Nigerians.
The Director-General of BPP, Dr Adebowale Adedokun, said the bureau would train the first batch of 350 of the 700 registered procurement officers under a three-week Foundation/Beginners Course.
Adedokun said the training was designed to deepen participants’ understanding of procurement principles, regulations, ethics and best practices under the Public Procurement Act, 2007.
He said ongoing reforms included digitalisation and e-procurement, improved procurement planning, price intelligence and benchmarking, standardisation of bidding documents and stronger contract monitoring.
The BPP director-general said the cheapest bid was not necessarily the best option, stressing that government must prioritise the lowest evaluated responsive bid and value for money.
“Procurement is not simply about spending less. It is about spending well,” Adedokun said.
Prof. Shu’aibu Aliyu, Executive Secretary of the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF), represented by Mr Waziri Laisu, General Manager, Procurement Department, said professionalism, competence and integrity were essential for effective management of government resources.
Aliyu urged participants to maximise the training by deepening their technical knowledge and building professional networks, adding that the value of the exercise would be measured by improvements in how procurement was planned, executed, monitored and managed in public institutions.
