₦68.3tn budget: New CSO, APTPI, pushes transparency, accountability in public spending By Shalom Oludele
₦68.3tn budget: New CSO, APTPI, pushes transparency, accountability in public spending
By Shalom Oludele
The Accountability and Transparency in Public Procurement Initiative (APTPI) has called for stronger collaboration among the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), the National Assembly, anti-corruption agencies, the Auditor-General, development partners, the private sector and civil society organisations (CSOs) to strengthen transparency and accountability in public procurement.
Secretary to the Board of APTPI, Ayorinde Dola-Johnson, said the organisation would remain non-partisan and evidence-driven, adding that its impact would be measured by the reforms it helps deliver rather than the institutions it criticises.
“APTPI recognises that no single institution can solve Nigeria’s procurement and governance challenges alone.
The Bureau of Public Procurement has an important regulatory mandate,” he said.
Dola-Johnson added: “We will measure our success by the number of procurement problems we help prevent, the quality of reforms we help advance and, ultimately, the improvement in value that Nigerians receive from public expenditure.”
The Director-General of the BPP, Dr Adebowale A. Adedokun, said the bureau had saved ₦1.4tn over the past 11 years through policy reforms and collaboration.
He noted that civil society organisations had the right to scrutinise procurement activities using existing guidelines.
“National procurement strategy is a procurement policy that makes everyone know the minimum requirements,” Adedokun added.
Speaking on behalf of FCDO-PACE, Team Leader Ifeanyi Peters Ugwuoke, represented by Mr Muiz Adeniran, said the cost of non-transparency was evident in the number of failed and abandoned projects across the country.
He stressed that strong competition was essential to achieving an effective procurement system.
“Fiscal leakage is the reason there are projects that have been going on for years and cannot be completed.
“We are calling for urgent intervention on this,” he said.
A Trustee of APTPI, Dr Joseph, said the organisation was established to work with government in promoting transparency across the procurement process.
He urged citizens to trust the system while calling on the government to support the BPP in implementing policies aimed at improving public procurement.
In his closing remarks, Dola-Johnson urged the government, media and citizens to view transparency as a tool for better governance rather than an obstacle.
He said the launch marked the beginning of a long-term push for accountability in the 2026 fiscal cycle.
“We invite government institutions to see APTPI as a constructive partner. We invite the media to help communicate procurement issues accurately and responsibly.
“Our message is simple: Every naira committed to public procurement carries a public obligation.
“And our aspiration is equally simple: Public money should deliver public value.”
Guests at the event included the Director-General of the BPP, Dr Adebowale A. Adedokun; representatives of the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), Department of State Services (DSS), FCDO-PACE, Accountability Lab, as well as other government agencies and civil society organisations.
