The Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) has urged Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) to move beyond monitoring public contract awards and begin tracking whether projects actually deliver promised services to Nigerians.
The Director-General of the BPP, Dr. Adebowale Adedokun, made the call at the BPP-CSO Engagement 2.0 held on Thursday in Abuja.
Speaking at the event, Adedokun emphasized that procurement accountability must not end at confirming whether a contract followed due process. Instead, he argued, CSOs must monitor the entire project lifecycle—from procurement planning to final execution—especially for projects that directly impact local communities.
“We should not monitor procurement only by asking, ‘Was the contract awarded correctly?’” Adedokun said. “We must also ask, ‘Did the contract deliver what Nigerians were promised?’
“Was the hospital completed? Did the equipment arrive? Is the road functional? Are the classrooms in use? Did the community receive potable water? Was value for money achieved? That is where procurement accountability must ultimately lead.”
Highlighting that every procurement decision directly impacts critical sectors such as healthcare, education, infrastructure, security, and agriculture, the BPP chief called for a structured framework to strengthen citizen oversight.
He proposed the creation of a *BPP-CSO Public Procurement Partnership Framework* anchored on five core pillars: capacity building, data access, project monitoring, early warning systems, and direct citizen engagement.
Adedokun stressed the need to equip CSOs with technical knowledge of procurement laws, standard bidding documents, contract management, and red-flag detection. He also urged organizations to rely on open contracting data for evidence-based tracking rather than speculation.
While calling for closer collaboration, the Director-General insisted that the partnership must respect the autonomy of civil society.
“We do not expect Civil Society Organisations to become an extension of government,” he stated. “We expect you to ask tough questions, examine the evidence, identify weaknesses, and challenge us constructively where necessary.”
He urged CSOs to ensure their critiques remain evidence-based, while assuring that government institutions would remain open to transparent engagement.
Outlining ongoing reforms, Adedokun revealed that the BPP is shifting focus from procedural compliance to performance-driven, measurable development outcomes. Key areas of focus include price intelligence, procurement surveillance, contractor classification, increased participation of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), and enforcement of the *Nigeria First Policy*.
He added that the Bureau is upgrading its digital infrastructure through platforms such as the Nigeria Open Contracting Portal (NOCOPO), the Contractors, Consultants and Service Providers platform, the National Procurement Officers Management System, and the Nigerian Public Procurement Certification Programme.
Adedokun concluded by reminding stakeholders that civil society oversight is already a statutory requirement enshrined in the Public Procurement Act of 2007.
