The Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) has announced plans to train an additional 350 procurement officers starting in January 2026. This initiative, part of the Mandatory Continuous Procurement Capacity Development Training Programme (MCPCDTP), aims to enhance the skills of procurement professionals across Nigeria. The announcement was made by Dr. Adebowale Adedokun, the Director-General of BPP, during the closing ceremony of the 2025 MCPCDTP (Batch A) held at the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) Centre for Skills Development in Rivers State.
The training program, which just concluded with the successful training of another 350 officers, reflects a commitment to elevate the standards of procurement within the country. Dr. Adedokun emphasized that this initiative is aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, aiming to reposition procurement as a crucial driver of national development.
Focus on Professionalism and National Service
Dr. Adedokun highlighted the need for a shift in how procurement is viewed within the government. He stated, “We are redefining procurement as a tool for national development rather than personal enrichment.” He noted that Nigeria faces a significant shortfall of well-trained procurement officers, indicating that current efforts must be doubled to build necessary capacity across all government agencies.
According to Dr. Adedokun, the procurement profession has lagged behind other fields like law and accounting in terms of human capacity development. The upcoming training session, set to begin in the last week of January 2026, aims to create a new generation of procurement officers dedicated to transparency, efficiency, and national service.
He remarked, “We are building a crop of officers who are angry about the failures of the current system and are determined to do things right. Procurement is not for selfish gain; it is for nation building.”
Enhanced Training Environment and Ongoing Reforms
The 2025 training program has been described by Dr. Adedokun as the most secure and well-organized since its inception. He praised the effective collaboration between the BPP and PTDF, which facilitated the training process. Participants were exposed to various ongoing procurement reforms, which include the Nigeria First Policy, digitalisation initiatives, community-based procurement strategies, and affirmative procurement policies.
Dr. Adedokun also underscored the importance of supporting locally assembled vehicles and made-in-Nigeria products. He pointed out that procurement decisions significantly influence job creation, revenue generation, and overall economic growth in the country.
He expressed confidence that the trained officers would enhance project delivery across government agencies by ensuring fairness, maintaining quality control, facilitating timely processing of procurement files, and adhering strictly to due process.
The BPP’s initiative to train procurement officers marks a crucial step towards fostering a more transparent and efficient procurement system in Nigeria, reflecting a broader commitment to national development and economic progress.
