July 10 (THEWILL) — The Federal Government says ongoing reforms in Nigeria’s public procurement system saved more than ₦1.1 trillion in 2025, reaffirming its commitment to strengthening transparency, accountability and fiscal discipline as part of efforts to improve governance and accelerate national development.
Vice President Kashim Shettima disclosed this on Friday at the 2026 Permanent Secretaries’ Retreat in Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State, where he said procurement reforms remained central to President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda of economic transformation and effective service delivery.
Represented by the Chairman of the Federal Civil Service Commission, Prof. Tunji Olaopa, the Vice President said the ongoing transformation of the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) was among the Federal Government’s most significant institutional reforms, with 23 strategic initiatives already introduced to improve transparency, accountability and fiscal discipline.
According to him, one of the key reforms is the adjustment of procurement approval thresholds, allowing ministerial tender boards to approve contracts below ₦5 billion for goods and services and ₦10 billion for works, thereby reducing delays previously associated with Federal Executive Council approvals.
He described the theme of the retreat, “Strengthening Procurement Leadership and Accountability for Effective Budget Execution and National Development,” as timely, noting that procurement remains at the heart of government spending and national development.
“Every road constructed, hospital equipped, school rehabilitated, agricultural intervention implemented and every digital platform deployed passes through the procurement process”, he said, stressing that efficient procurement was essential to delivering value to citizens.
The four-day retreat was organised by the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation in collaboration with the Bureau of Public Procurement for federal permanent secretaries.
Speaking at the event, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs Esther Walson-Jack, described procurement as the point where policy, budgeting, leadership and service delivery converge, warning that weak procurement systems directly affect citizens.
“When procurement works well, the government delivers. When procurement is delayed, weak or poorly managed, citizens feel the consequences”, she said.
Walson-Jack urged permanent secretaries, as accounting officers, to ensure procurement processes remain transparent, competitive, efficient and fully compliant with the Public Procurement Act and other extant regulations.
Also speaking, the Director-General of the Bureau of Public Procurement, Dr Adebowale Adedokun, described public procurement as one of the government’s most powerful governance tools, noting that it serves as the bridge between budget approval and actual service delivery.
He said critical infrastructure, including roads, hospitals, schools and security equipment, are delivered through procurement, underscoring the need for strong leadership and accountability in the system.
