Public procurement is the system through which governments acquire goods, services, and infrastructure to support public welfare and enhance operations. It plays a crucial role in resource allocation. However, procurement systems are often susceptible to fraud and inefficiency. In Nigeria and across Africa, research identifies four key areas that require sustained reform to improve procurement systems and outcomes:

1)Increasing the inclusion of women-owned businesses in public procurement

2)Assessing technical capacity to ensure the effectiveness of procurement processes

3)Enhancing accountability by increasing transparency and making procurement data more accessible

4)Leveraging behavioral science to drive ethical outcomes in procurement

Through a collaborative study with the Africa Growth Initiative (AGI) at the Brookings Institution in Washington DC, USA, the University of Stellenbosch in Cape Town, South Africa, CSEA has been examining procurement practices, with the aim of providing new and innovative solutions to reforming procurement practices and mitigate corrupt losses of procurement funds—both in Nigeria and across the African continent.

We recently published some research papers and training manual, via Brookings.

Transparency in the procurement process in Nigeria

Governments allocate public funds toward social goods and services as an essential component of provision of public goods and economic planning. This is facilitated through public procurement, which is the process through which the government acquires works, goods, and services from the private sector. The estimate among OECD countries shows that public procurement accounts for a 12.9% share of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2021. In developing countries, public procurement was estimated to be around 30% of the GDP and represented more than 30% of total government spending before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2016, the annual expenditure on procurement in Nigeria was estimated to range from 10% to 25% of GDP. READ MORE 

Imperative of human resources in effective public procurement: Challenges and prospects in Nigeria

Public procurement is an important component of governance, as it comprises purchases by a government to ensure quality and efficient public service delivery. The public procurement process requires technical competence in various areas, including financial, legal, administrative, sector-specific knowledge, and an understanding of local and global supply chains from where the public goods and services will be sourced. In this regard, the human resource system and skill development programs, often referred to as human development, are part of extensive public procurement reforms. READ MORE

Reforming public procurement in Nigeria: What needs to change

Nigeria faces significant challenges with corruption, as illustrated by the 2023 Corruption Perceptions Index. Public procurement is particularly vulnerable, and is one of the main areas through which corruption manifests in the public sector. Addressing corruption in public procurement is therefore important for a number of reasons. First, procurement is a lever for development that helps to ensure projects deliver development benefits to beneficiaries. It is vital to promoting sustainability and is also crucial for the effective utilization of public funds. READ MORE

Public procurement and good governance in Nigeria: Training manual

Public procurement governs the state’s acquisition of goods and services needed to fulfill its public functions through private transactions with commercial suppliers. The training presumes that participants have a basic understanding of the public procurement system, but also includes a module that is an introduction to public procurement in Nigeria. Each module is designed to provide practical information on the topics under study and includes reading materials, exercises, and additional resources for further learning. READ MORE