August 29, (THEWILL) — The Director-General of the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), Dr Adebowale A. Adedokun, has called for the creation of procurement lawyers to address public procurement deficits and corruption.
A statement signed on Friday by BPP Head of Public Relations, Zira Zakka Nagga, said Adedokun made the call at the 65th Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in Enugu.
Emphasising the need for lawyers to understand the standard bidding document, the DG said, “If we are to reduce deficits in public procurement, lawyers must take ownership of the standard bidding document.”
He urged the NBA to consider training lawyers on the revised standard bidding document and other critical components of procurement reforms.
Adedokun also highlighted the importance of governance reforms, transparency, and capacity in addressing infrastructure deficits. He noted that without these reforms, increased funding would only lead to more waste due to corruption, weak institutions, and policy inconsistencies.
On infrastructure funding needs, he said annual funding of $100 billion would be required to fund infrastructure. He gave a projection of $3 trillion needed over the next 30 years to close the infrastructure gap.
The BPP DG emphasised that procurement is a strategic enabler for national development, ensuring efficient resource utilisation and delivering value to citizens. He called for strong anti-corruption measures, transparent procurement, and stakeholder engagement to bridge Nigeria’s infrastructure deficit.
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