The Director-General of the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), Dr. Adebowale A.Adedokun, FCIPS, ACFE, has called for the emergence of procurement lawyers to address public procurement deficits and corruption.
He made this assertion on August 25th, 2025, at the 65th Edition of the Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in Enugu.
Dr. Adedokun emphasised the need for lawyers to understand the standard bidding document, stating, “If we are to reduce deficits in public procurement, lawyers must take ownership of the standard bidding document.”
He urged the NBA to consider training lawyers on the revised standard bidding document and other critical components of procurement reforms.
A press release by Head of Publ8c Relations at BPP, Zira Zaka Nagga, dated August 29, 2025, quoted Dr Adedokun to have specifically listed his key recommendations to include:
●》Training for Lawyers: Develop skills for lawyers to understand the standard bidding document and its practical application.
●》Specialisation: Encourage specialisation in different aspects of procurement and collaboration between departments.
●》Contract Agreement Drafting: Improve contract agreement drafting to curb corruption and deficits.
●》Eliminating Loopholes: Champion the cause of eliminating procurement loopholes for a corruption-free system.
Dr. Adedokun also highlighted the importance of governance reforms, transparency, and capacity in addressing infrastructure deficits.
He noted that without these reforms, increased funding would only lead to more waste due to corruption, weak institutions, and policy inconsistencies.
On Infrastructure Funding needs, he said that annual funding of $100 billion would be required to fund infrastructure.
He gave a projection of $3 trillion needed over the next 30 years to close the infrastructure gap.
The BPP DG emphasised that procurement is a strategic enabler for national development, ensuring efficient resource utilisation and delivering value to citizens.
He called for strong anti-corruption measures, transparent procurement, and stakeholder engagement to bridge Nigeria’s infrastructure deficit.
Director-General, Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), Dr. Adebowale A. Adedokun, FCIPS, ACFE (M), Andrew O. Odum, SAN, 1st right, Daniel C. Enwelum, SAN, 2nd left, ACG. E. E. Benito, 1st right and Hon. Ibenaku Onoh, PhD, Chairman of Enugu-North Local Government, 2nd right in a group photograph after speaking on “Nigeria’s Infrastructure Deficit: Implications for Economic Growth, Development and Well-being” at the 65th Edition of the Annual Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) 2025 in Enugu.
