The federal government says it has begun the training of no fewer than 350 procurement officers to strengthen the nation’s procurement system.

The Secretary to the Federal Government (SFG), George Akume, said this at the opening of the 2025 edition of the mandatory continuous public procurement capacity training programme on Monday in Port Harcourt.

Represented by his technical adviser, Olusegun Adekunle, Mr Akume said that public procurement was a critical link between policy and practice, and that a weak link could create avenues for corruption.

He said that the training would engender an effective procurement system and management of public resources.

The SGF said that there was need for procurement officers to possess the requisite skills and ethical competence to manage public resources.

Mr Akume urged public sector agencies to comply strictly with the policy directive prohibiting unqualified personnel from performing procurement functions.

He said that public procurement accounted for an estimated 10 to 25 per cent of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product, and that effective management was crucial to achieving national development goals.

The SGF further stated that transparency and accountability were critical to the national procurement system.

Mr Akume said that the training would equip the procurement officers to tackle corruption and financial crimes in the public procurement process.

He urged procurement officers to uphold integrity and professionalism, and to leverage technology and other support systems to ensure efficient procurement processes.

The director-general, Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), Adebowale  Adedokun, expressed the need for continuous capacity building for procurement officers in the public service scheme.

Mr Adedokun said that the bureau had achieved remarkable feats such as revised procurement thresholds, debarment policy, and strengthened audit functions.

He said that ethical conduct, transparency and accountability in procurement remained critical, and urged the participants to take advantage of the training to deepen their understanding of the process.

The director general said that BPP was collaborating with six universities and private training institutions to deliver practical training programmes for procurement officers in Nigeria.

“This training aims to equip procurement officers with the skills and knowledge needed to effectively manage public contracts and uphold the highest standards of integrity and professionalism.

“About 1,100 persons applied for the 2025 training, 350 of them were selected for the first batch, and the second batch will be taken by January 2026,” he said.

Ahmed Galadima, the executive secretary, Petroleum Technology Development Fund, said that the organisation had trained about 15,000 Nigerians locally and internationally.

Mr Galadima said that the training was aimed at strengthening procurement integrity, transparency, and accountability in government institutions.

(NAN)