The Director-General of the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), Adebowale Adedokun, has called for a new legal specialisation in Nigeria: “procurement lawyers.”
Speaking at the 65th Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), he argued that creating a cadre of legal experts focused on procurement law is essential to curb corruption and address the country’s massive infrastructure deficit.
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Adedokun emphasised that lawyers must become proficient in the standard bidding document, stating that their ownership of this process is key to reducing procurement flaws.
He urged the NBA to consider training its members on the revised bidding document and other critical components of procurement reform.
The BPP Director-General presented several recommendations to the NBA.
He emphasised the need for training and skill development to equip lawyers with the knowledge and practical skills required to understand and apply the standard bidding document.
He also urged specialisation, encouraging legal professionals to focus on different aspects of procurement while fostering collaboration among various legal departments.
On contract drafting, he recommended improving the quality of agreements to eliminate loopholes that enable corruption and create financial deficits.
He called for closing loopholes within the procurement system, stressing that this was essential to building a transparent and corruption-free environment.
Adedokun also highlighted that without significant governance reforms, transparency, and improved institutional capacity, increased funding for infrastructure would only be wasted.
He projected that Nigeria needs to secure $100 billion annually to fund its infrastructure needs and that a total of $3 trillion would be required over the next 30 years to bridge the current infrastructure gap.
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He stated that procurement is a strategic tool for national development, ensuring efficient use of resources and delivering value to citizens.
He called for strong anti-corruption measures and greater stakeholder engagement to achieve these goals.
