PUBLIC PROCUREMENT PROCESS IN NIGERIA: A STUDY OF PERFORMANCE OF BUREAU OF PUBLIC PROCUREMENT (2007-2015)
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Date
2021-03
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UNIVERSITY OF ILORIN
Abstract
There were challenges that characterized public procurement in Nigeria prior to 2007 such as the absence of a dedicated procurement law. The Nigerian government took some steps including institutionalization of reform in the procurement system and enactment of the Public Procurement Act, 2007 that culminated in the establishment of the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) in 2007. This study examined the impact that the BPP made on Nigeria’s procurement system between 2007 and 2015. The objectives of the study were to: (i) examine what brought about the reform of Nigeria’s procurement system; (ii) investigate the level of success made by the BPP in ensuring transparency in the procurement process; and (iii) examine the level of compliance with procurement regulations.
The study adopted the institutional theory as its theoretical framework, which places emphasis on institutions that shape actions in the investigation of political phenomena. The study relied extensively on secondary sources of data while information derived from primary sources were used to complement it. It adopted the In-depth Interview (IDI) approach. The purposive sampling technique was used to select participants for the study. The sample comprised of twenty respondents which included officers of the BPP, relevant Federal Ministries, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and reputable contracting firms. The data for the study were analysed using the qualitative-descriptive method with particular reliance on content analysis.
The findings of the study were that:
(i) Public procurement process in Nigeria prior to 2007 was characterized by lack of openness, inadequate legal instruments, and abuses of procurement process thereby raising the costs of government contracts;
(ii) the BPP saved Nigeria a total of N558 billion within the period under review as against N102 billion saved by the Budget Monitoring and Price Intelligence Unit that preceded it; and
(iii) there was a 75% level of compliance with the stipulations of the PPA in the procurement process during the period under study. However, there are still some deficiencies arising from the non-compliance attitude of some MDAs, and lapses in the enforcement of statutorily stipulated sanctions on erring government entities by BPP.
The study concluded that the advent of BPP has brought about noticeable improvements in Nigeria’s procurement system, especially in the areas of transparency and compliance with procurement regulations. The study recommended, among others, stricter application of the transparency measures, strengthening of the procurement surveillance mechanisms, and strict imposition of sanctions by BPP in accordance with the Public Procurement Act, 2007.
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PUBLIC PROCUREMENT PROCESS, NIGERIA, PERFORMANCE, BUREAU OF PUBLIC PROCUREMENT, 2007-2015