The Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) has strongly refuted allegations of corruption and financial misconduct, describing them as “false, malicious, and intended to mislead the public”.
The BPP’s Director-General, Dr. Adebowale Adedokun, and his team are specifically targeted in the allegations, which include claims of monetising Certificates of No Objection.
The BPP attributed the allegations to disgruntled personnel and entrenched interests affected by its recent reforms, which included tightening procurement reviews, stricter enforcement of due process, and blocking leakages.
These reforms have safeguarded government funds and promoted transparency in public procurement.
The BPP has also introduced affirmative procurement, established a Price Intelligence Unit, and implemented the Nigeria First Policy to strengthen the participation of small and medium-scale enterprises in public procurement.
The BPP said it welcomed any investigation by relevant authorities, stating that it had nothing to hide and was willing to cooperate fully.
The Bureau’s financial records and institutional logs are audited, transparent, and traceable.
The BPP urged the public to disregard sensationalised reports and allow institutions to perform their duties without interference.
The full text of a press release signed by Head of Press and Public Relations Unit of the BPP, Zira Zakka Nagga, reads in extenso:
PRESS STATEMENT
The Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) wishes to address recent allegations circulating in sections of the media, on social platforms, and within certain civil society circles regarding its leadership and operations.
These allegations, which include claims of corruption, monetisation of Certificates of No Objection amongst others, are entirely false, malicious, and intended to mislead the public while undermining the integrity of the Bureau.
We state unequivocally that neither the Director-General, Dr. Adebowale Adedokun, his Chief of Staff, Mr. Olanrewaju Obasa nor any top member of the management has engaged in such act of corruption, financial misconduct, or abuse of office.
The BPP operates strictly under the guidelines of the Public Procurement Act, 2007 with transparent, multi-layered, and digitally monitored systems that make such allegations not only baseless but practically impossible without detection.
We recognise that the reforms introduced in recent months, particularly the tightening of procurement reviews, stricter enforcement of due process, the blocking of leakages, benchmarking of inflated Contractors’ prices which collective have safeguarded government funds, have disrupted entrenched interests, led to the exit of disgruntled personnel unable to adapt to these new reforms.
It is therefore not unexpected that beneficiaries of the previously compromised system may resort to blackmail, petitions, and sponsored media narratives in an attempt to smear the leadership of the Bureau.
Despite these distractions, we remain fully committed to our mandate of safeguarding public resources and promoting accountability in public procurement.
The Bureau has in the past year undertaken several key reforms, including the introduction of affirmative procurement, establishment of Price Intelligence Unit, Procurement Surveillance and Procurement Audit Unit, Monitoring and Evaluation unit all of which have contributed significantly to its recent achievements.
In addition, the Bureau has led the implementation of the Nigeria First Policy, strengthened the participation of small and medium-scale enterprises in public procurement, and advanced the classification and categorisation of contractors, which is scheduled to become fully operational by January 2026. This will ensure that contractors undertake projects strictly in line with their verified technical and financial capacities to Nigerians and the international community, our position is clear: we welcome any investigation by the relevant Authorities.
We stand ready to cooperate fully and will provide all required documents, financial records, and institutional logs to support a thorough, evidence-based inquiry.
We have absolutely nothing to hide. All official accounts and transactions within the BPP are audited, transparent, and traceable.
We urge the public to disregard sensationalised or misleading reports and allow relevant institutions of the state to perform their duties without interference.
We also call on the media to act responsibly by verifying information before publication. Reckless reporting not only distorts facts but also undermines public trust and unjustly damages reputations.
In closing, the Bureau remains committed to transparency, professionalism, and service to the nation, in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of Mr. President. We call on Nigerians to remain calm and allow due process to run its course. No amount of blackmail or misinformation will deter us from strengthening the procurement system and upholding the integrity of public financial management.
God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Zira Zakka Nagga
Head of Press and Public Relations (BPP)
November 29, 2025
