By Our Reporter
PORT HARCOURT — In a major boost for institutional accountability and efficient service delivery in the Niger Delta, the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) has strongly endorsed the ongoing procurement policy reforms and process digitisation initiated by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
The BPP lauded the interventionist agency for actively embracing modern technology to overhaul its procurement framework, noting that the shift will significantly promote transparency, eliminate bureaucratic bottlenecks, and strengthen public accountability.
The endorsement was the highlight of the newly concluded NDDC Procurement Policy Reform and Digitisation Stakeholders Sensitisation and Training Summit held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
The training workshop, which ran under the theme: “Promoting Best Procurement Practices and Digital System for the NDDC,” was systematically extended across the nine mandate states of the Niger Delta region to ensure widespread compliance.
Speaking at the summit, the Director General of the BPP, Dr. Adebowale Adedokun, described the NDDC’s transition from manual paperwork to electronic operations as a commendable and necessary step toward modernizing public governance.
He stressed that paperless governance has become imperative as the Federal Government intensifies efforts to reduce administrative delays, eliminate systemic waste, and accelerate development directly to the citizens.
According to Adedokun, public procurement remains the engine room for executing government programs, and it must continually adapt to modern tools to sustain public trust.
“Procurement lies at the heart of public service delivery. It determines how resources are allocated, how projects are executed, and ultimately, how development reaches our people,” the BPP Director General remarked.
Dr. Adedokun further emphasized that inter-agency collaboration is vital for a smooth transition to digital operations.
He noted that the NDDC’s current reform trajectory aligns seamlessly with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s broader administrative agenda, which seeks to build a highly responsive, innovative, and citizen-focused public sector.
Responding, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the NDDC, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, explained that the sensitization workshop was a deliberate strategy by the Commission to build institutional capacity, enhance knowledge, and embed global best practices into its daily governance structures.
Dr. Ogbuku stated that the NDDC is actively translating President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda into tangible developmental milestones across the Niger Delta.
He warmly commended the BPP for its consistent technical support, which he credited with facilitating the speedy completion of critical infrastructure projects across the region.
The NDDC boss observed that the digital overhaul is occurring at a pivotal moment when public institutions across Nigeria must urgently reform to eliminate deep-seated inefficiencies.
”Central to this reform is the transition from manual, paper-based systems to a fully digital platform that enhances accessibility, reduces delays and minimizes opportunities for corruption,” Ogbuku stated.
Reaffirming the Commission’s long-term vision, he declared:
“We have moved from transaction to transformation. We are not only reforming, but we are also transforming the Niger Delta region. By embracing digital tools, we are promoting transparency, improving service delivery and ensuring that public resources are managed more responsibly.”
New Guidelines for Contractors
Elaborating on the technical aspects of the upgrade, the NDDC Director of Procurement, Dr. Chuks Osuji, noted that modernization is fundamentally about behavioral change, reducing human interference, and ensuring strict value for money.
Dr. Osuji announced a policy shift: henceforth, all contractors and service providers doing business with the NDDC will be required to interact, bid, and engage with the Commission exclusively through its new online procurement platform.
The digital architecture, he added, will feature an integrated feedback mechanism to promptly resolve stakeholder complaints.
Reacting on behalf of the third-party stakeholders, the representative of NDDC Contractors and Consultants, Dr. Maraizu Uche, expressed support for the digital transition and pledged full cooperation.
He, however, used the medium to appeal to the NDDC leadership to simultaneously review and digitize its payment systems to eliminate recurring delays in the settlement of verified, fully executed contracts.
With the successful completion of the sensitization summit across the nine Niger Delta states, analysts believe the NDDC is setting a vital benchmark for automated, transparent governance within Nigeria’s regional interventionist frameworks.
