Nigeria Needs More Experienced Procurement Lawyers - Official

The Director-General of the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), Adebowale Adedokun, has said Nigeria needs more lawyers with experience in procurement.

Mr Adedokun, whose agency manages procurement in federal institutions, noted the important role of lawyers in protecting public spending and pushing for procurement reforms.

But he mentioned that the shortage of lawyers with knowledge in public procurement often leads to problems in managing contracts, resolving disputes, drafting policies, and prosecuting procurement-related offenses.

"Nigeria lacks lawyers who are vast and experienced in procurement; hence, we must develop lawyers who understand procurement," Mr Adedokun said on Wednesday. This was during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the BPP and the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) at the BPP headquarters.

He called for building capacity in procurement for lawyers to boost service delivery.

"By building this capacity within the legal profession and the judiciary, we will strengthen the integrity of the procurement process and improve service delivery to citizens," he said.

A statement from Zira Nagga, BPP’s Head of Media and Public Relations, explained that the MoU focuses on improving collaboration in public procurement management, legal practice, capacity building, and policy reforms. This aims to enhance transparency, accountability, and value for money in managing public funds.

A joint committee from the BPP and the NBA was set up to oversee the MoU's implementation.

Mr Nagga mentioned that this committee is expected to create training programs and certification for lawyers and judicial officers on procurement law and practice. They will also advise on legal and policy reforms to strengthen the Public Procurement Act.

The committee will also help review complex contracts, prosecute procurement violations, and organize awareness programs for Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), the private sector, and civil society groups.

He noted that this partnership comes at a time when the BPP is increasing its oversight of procurement activities across MDAs, including the ongoing second round of procurement audits.

"By equipping the legal community with procurement expertise, the collaboration aims to reduce litigation risks, improve contract enforcement, and ensure public funds deliver maximum value to Nigerians," Mr Nagga said.

Mr Adedokun added that this partnership would also help produce judicial officers and law students who are skilled in procurement and can effectively interpret and apply the Public Procurement Act.

In his comments, the President of the NBA, Afam Osigwe, who is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), stressed the association’s commitment to promoting transparency, accountability, and professionalism in public procurement.

Mr Osigwe pointed out that weaknesses in procurement processes have led to many abandoned projects and wasted public resources across the country.

He announced that procurement law and practice will now be taught as a separate course at the NBA Institute of Legal Education. This is to ensure that new lawyers gain proper knowledge of procurement principles before starting their practice.