ICPC, BPP, Other Stakeholders Rally Against Procurement Fraud
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) yesterday convened a one-day procurement engagement workshop in Abuja for Directors and Heads of Procurement across Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs).
Held in alignment with the United Nations International Anti-Corruption Day, the workshop served as both an accountability checkpoint and a symbolic call to action, underscoring that the fight against corruption is a collective undertaking.
Delivering the keynote address on behalf of the Commission’s Chairman, the Secretary to the ICPC, Mr. Clifford Oparaodu, reinforced the pivotal role procurement officers play in shaping how effectively public funds translate into real-world development.
He said: “Public procurement in Nigeria has long operated at the fault line of governance, absorbing between an estimated 10–25 percent of the nation’s GDP and losing a substantial portion of that to corruption leakages.
“From inflated contracts and abandoned sites to ghost projects and substandard deliveries, the procurement space has remained a breeding ground for illicit practices that erode public trust and divert resources meant to uplift communities.”
He described public procurement as not merely a bureaucratic function, but a strategic gateway through which the government’s promises either materialise or are quietly sabotaged.
“Public procurement is the single largest channel of public expenditure and, unfortunately, the highest point of corruption risk,” he said, citing persistent malpractice such as contract inflation, contract splitting, multiple budget entries for the same project, and large-scale abandonment”.
He referenced findings from the Commission’s Constituency and Executive Projects Tracking Initiative (CEPTI), which since 2019 has uncovered ghost projects, duplicated budget items, and contractors who received full payment yet delivered far below specification or delivered nothing at all.
“We have tracked projects from inception to completion across the six geopolitical zones and the FCT. These findings confirm that transparency directly improves citizens’ lives,” he noted, emphasising that the absence of oversight consistently correlates with the collapse of service delivery.
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He elaborated on the transparency mechanisms MDAs must now prioritise. These include proactive publication of procurement plans, explicit evaluation criteria, full disclosure of contract award details, and the use of photographic evidence to verify project implementation.
He underscored the need for technology-enabled procurement systems capable of creating real-time audit trails and detecting anomalies before financial damage occurs.
He added that without legislative reinforcement, such as stricter sanctions for procurement breaches, the creation of special courts for corruption cases, and the standardisation of project specifications procurement reforms risk stagnation.
“Corruption thrives in darkness. We must flood the system with light,” he said, insisting that transparency must move from principle to practice.
Mr. Oparaodu stressed that procurement officers stand at the frontline of Nigeria’s anti-corruption architecture.
“Your work determines whether government projects provide real value or become wasted investments,” he said, highlighting that technical officers, not policymakers, often make the budget real.
Chairman of the House Committee on Anti-Corruption, Hon. Kayode Akiolu, delivered a goodwill message, commending the ICPC’s proactive, prevention-focused model of anti-corruption. He pointed out that many practices widely normalised in Nigeria, such as “informal facilitation fees” and politically motivated contract awards remain clear forms of corruption.
“ICPC has raised awareness in a way that prevents corruption before it happens. That is the most effective form of anti-corruption work,” he remarked.
The Director-General of the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), Dr. Adebowale Adedokun, also praised ICPC’s expanding role in ensuring compliance with procurement laws.
He highlighted the recent approval of the National Infrastructure Development Policy, describing it as a long-awaited instrument that strengthens the legal framework for holding contractors accountable for substandard work.
“For the first time, Nigeria now has a clear national document that compels quality and holds contractors accountable,” he said, noting that improved synergy between BPP and ICPC will facilitate clearer audit processes and promote early detection of procurement irregularities.
Adding a technical dimension, the Director-General of the Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute (NIBRRI), Professor Samson Duna, explained that many building collapses in Nigeria stem from the use of substandard materials especially steel that fails laboratory tests.
He commended ICPC’s focus on documentation and compliance, but urged an extension of the rotation period for ICPC desk officers to enable deeper oversight of complex, long-term projects.
By PRNigeria
