The Director-General of the Kaduna State Public Procurement Authority (KADPPA), Sanusi Yero, has said procurement reforms in Kaduna State saved the government more than N22 billion in 2025 through improved review and certification processes.

Mr Yero stated this on Tuesday in Kaduna at the opening of the three-day KADProCHAIN 1.0 International Industry Summit organised by the Centre for Procurement, Logistics and Supply Chain Management, Kaduna State University (KASU), in collaboration with KADPPA.

He said the summit had strengthened Kaduna’s reputation as a leading reform state in procurement accountability and public financial management.

According to him, Kaduna is the first subnational to domesticate the Public Procurement Act and the first to join the Open Government Partnership.

He added that the state pioneered end-to-end e-procurement and signed the national e-GP framework on behalf of the 36 states under the States Fiscal Transparency, Accountability, and Sustainability programme (SFTAS).

Mr Yero also said the state became the first subnational to join the CoST Infrastructure Transparency Initiative in 2023.

The director-general added that Kaduna approved a gender-responsive procurement policy in 2024 to expand economic participation for women-owned businesses.

He said advance payment reforms had eliminated abandoned projects and prevented contract liabilities under the present administration.

Mr Yero commended the summit for driving conversations that would improve transparency, strengthen value for money and promote ethical public procurement systems.

Earlier, the acting director of the centre, Safiya Abubakar, said the summit was convened to shape the future of global procurement and supply chain systems.

She said procurement and logistics drive the global economy and must be efficient and resilient to withstand disruptions.

Ms Abubakar said the event was a global dialogue involving professionals, regulators, researchers and industry leaders on emerging trends to improve logistics and transparency in supply chains.

According to her, the establishment of the centre has positioned Nigeria as a hub for innovation, research and certification in the field.

She said the summit would examine governance reforms, gender-responsive procurement, sustainability and measures to combat fraud in the sector.

Ms Abubakar said that Kaduna’s gender-responsive procurement model had become a reference point with the potential to serve as a global research case study.

She added that certifications provided at the summit by international bodies would boost competence and open global opportunities for practitioners.

Ms Abubakar added that artificial intelligence applications in warehousing and ethical issues in global business would also be discussed.

Also speaking, the chairman of the Forum of Directors-General of Public Procurement Authorities in the 36 states, Ehimoni Joshua, said collaboration between academia and regulatory agencies was crucial to strengthening procurement reforms nationwide.

Mr Joshua, who is also the director-general of the Kogi Bureau of Public Procurement, said procurement and supply chain systems were central to infrastructure delivery, industrial growth and economic resilience.

He called for continuous research, standardised training and stronger private-sector cooperation to sustain reform momentum.

Mr Joshua appealed to the participants to use the summit to develop innovative solutions and strengthen partnerships for improved transparency and value for money.

The summit drew participants from within and outside Nigeria.

(NAN)