The Bureau of Public Procurement has introduced an affirmative procurement system to promote inclusion and economic participation among women, youths and persons with disabilities.

Under the initiative, priority consideration will be given to women-led businesses, youth organisations and persons living with disabilities in public procurement processes.

The director-general of BPP, Adebowale Adedokun, disclosed this in an interview on Sunday in Abuja. He said the initiative was designed to give marginalised groups a stronger sense of belonging in the nation’s economic space.

Mr Adedokun said the federal government was mandating quota allocations for these groups in the 2026 budget cycle.

“In our bidding documents, we are directing government agencies to allocate a specific percentage of procurement opportunities to these groups,” he said.

He added that BPP was collaborating with the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria and other relevant agencies to ensure effective implementation.

Mr Adedokun said the bureau was also restructuring the procurement system nationwide to improve efficiency and performance.

According to him, the introduction of a Price Intelligence Unit has improved transparency and reduced contractors’ arbitrary pricing.

“For any price quoted, we can determine the appropriate market value through our team of seasoned professionals,” he said.

Mr Adedokun said BPP had decentralised procurement by introducing a sector-based system to enhance professionalism across industries. He said the approach would improve efficiency and ensure higher quality service delivery in procurement processes.

The BPP boss added that sector-specific procurement guidelines would be developed to enable quicker and more responsive service delivery. 

(NAN)