ICPC Chairman, Musa Aliyu, has called for “radical transparency” in Nigeria’s public procurement system, warning that billions of naira continue to be lost to corruption annually due to entrenched fraudulent practices.
Aliyu delivered the charge on Tuesday in Abuja at a one-day procurement engagement workshop organised by the commission for directors and heads of procurement across Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs). The session was designed to share strategies for addressing persistent infractions uncovered during ICPC’s project-tracking exercises.
Represented by the Commission’s Secretary, Mr. Clifford Oparaodu, the chairman described public procurement — which accounts for 10 to 25 per cent of Nigeria’s GDP — as the “single largest conduit for corruption” unless decisive action is taken.
He listed pervasive schemes such as contract splitting, over-invoicing that inflates costs by as much as 200–300 per cent, phantom projects, and abandoned contracts that disappear with mobilisation funds.
“These practices do not only drain the treasury; they also deny millions of Nigerians clean water, healthcare, roads, and electricity,” Aliyu said.
He recalled the 2019 launch of the Constituency and Executive Projects Tracking Initiative (CEPTI), which monitors projects across all 36 states and the FCT.
While exposing widespread irregularities — including projects sited on private property, personal companies executing government contracts, and duplicated projects — the initiative has also delivered tangible outcomes such as functional schools, boreholes, upgraded health centres, and solar streetlights in rural communities.
“Transparency, when properly implemented, directly improves citizens’ lives,” he noted, revealing that ICPC, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Works, is currently tracking road projects valued at an estimated N36 trillion.
Aliyu stressed the need for full enforcement of the Public Procurement Act 2007, especially at subnational levels where compliance remains inconsistent.
He outlined key reforms including: publishing annual procurement plans ahead of implementation; disclosing bidder lists and evaluation criteria; providing periodic progress reports with photographic evidence; and issuing completion certificates.
He also advocated open competitive bidding as the default method, multi-stakeholder evaluation committees, and independent verification of contractor capacity.
While describing e-procurement as a transformative tool capable of creating immutable audit trails and enabling real-time monitoring, Aliyu cautioned that technology alone cannot solve systemic problems.
“Without political will, adequate funding, capacity building, and robust change-management processes, e-procurement platforms become expensive failures,” he warned.
He urged legislators to strengthen oversight mechanisms, close loopholes in the Procurement Act, and support the creation of a Special Crimes Court to fast-track corruption cases.
Frontline procurement officers, he said, must treat transparency as a professional obligation: implement stringent internal controls, resist political pressure, and report suspected fraud through the ICPC’s confidential 24-hour hotline (0800-CALL-ICPC).
“Nigeria is at a crossroads,” Aliyu declared. “Either we continue down the path of opacity and personal enrichment, or we embrace transparency and accountability as a sacred trust for our citizens. Corruption thrives in darkness; let us flood the system with light.”
The Director-General of the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), Dr. Adebowale Adedokun, applauded ICPC for improving adherence to procurement rules.
He highlighted the recent approval of the National Infrastructure Development Policy, which strengthens the legal framework for prosecuting contractors who deliver substandard projects.
“For the first time, Nigeria has a clear national document that compels quality and holds contractors accountable,” he said.
Prof. Samson Duna, Director-General of the Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute (NBRRI), noted that many building collapses in the country stem from substandard construction materials, particularly steel that routinely fails laboratory tests.
He urged ICPC to extend the rotation period of its desk officers beyond six months to enhance oversight.
The workshop concluded with interactive discussions and renewed commitments to transparency, accountability, and improved service delivery. Several participants pledged to implement the recommendations.
Aminu Yakubu, Director of Procurement at NASRDA, described the session as a “wake-up call” on the consequences of ignoring procurement rules. By
The Head of Procurement at the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Ugochukwu Nwogute, commended the initiative, promising to translate lessons from the workshop into concrete actions to sanitise the procurement system.
