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The Network for Public Procurement Advocacy and Development, NEFGAD, has faulted the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) over its reaction to the United States’ 2025 Fiscal Transparency Report, which flagged Nigeria for poor disclosure of procurement contracts.
The US Department of State, in the report released this month, acknowledged Nigeria’s progress in making budget and debt data publicly accessible but faulted the government for consistently withholding contract details. According to the assessment, such opacity undermines accountability and weakens good governance.
The report reviewed 139 governments and the Palestinian Authority. While 71 met minimum fiscal transparency standards, 69, including Nigeria, fell short. Nigeria was named among 32 African countries still lagging, alongside nations such as Egypt, Algeria, Cameroon, Liberia, and Tanzania.
It also criticised the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation for failing to publish comprehensive budget-execution audits within the required timeframe, urging reforms to strengthen the office and make procurement records readily available.
Reacting to the report, BPP Director-General Dr. Adebowale Adedokun dismissed the US findings as outdated, insisting that ongoing reforms under President Bola Tinubu have boosted openness and accountability.
He listed contract advertisements, online bidding accessible to foreign companies, procurement audits, decentralisation of approval limits, and the ongoing transition to e-government procurement as proof of progress. Dr. Adedokun further noted that some contract awards had been reversed after petitions, while anti-graft agencies such as the EFCC and ICPC were actively prosecuting procurement violations.
NEFGAD, however, disagreed. In a statement signed in Abuja by its Acting Head of Office, Barr. Unekwu Blessing-Ojo, the group maintained that the US assessment accurately reflected Nigeria’s procurement environment.
The advocacy network described the Bureau under Dr. Adedokun as “opaque and ineffective,” alleging that procurement information remains hidden from the public, due process is often ignored, and morale within the Bureau has plummeted.
NEFGAD also dismissed the BPP’s recent policy documents on local content, civil society participation and service delivery as “cosmetic” and devoid of real-world impact. The group accused the Bureau of limiting stakeholder engagement to superficial events without follow-up or measurable outcomes.
It urged President Tinubu to appoint more capable leadership, stressing that the effectiveness of public procurement would determine the success or failure of his Renewed Hope Agenda.
NEFGAD slams BPP over ‘weak defence’ of US Fiscal Transparency Report
