Dr. Adebowale Adedokun, the Director General of the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), has pledged to use best procurement methods, appropriate training, and knowledge to turn Nigeria into the Dubai of Africa. When Adedokun signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Abuja with Mr. Ben Farrell, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS) United Kingdom, African Region and Asia Pacific, he declared his dedication to turning Nigeria into the Dubai of Africa.
In a press release issued on June 6, 2025, by Zira Zakka Nagga, Head of Public Relations (BPP), the public procurement chief stated that understanding procurement procedures was crucial for resolving life’s challenges because procurement practice was not just focused on contract awards but also expanded in scope. He revealed that the Bureau had started several initiatives to support Nigeria’s ambition to occupy its proper position on the international scene in terms of following best procurement standards.
One such project, the Sustainable Procurement Environmental and Social Standards Enhancement (SPESSE) project, was mentioned by Adedokun. He claimed that it had put Nigeria on the international scene and had a big impact on the world. He emphasised his goal of making Nigeria the “Dubai of Africa” by providing the necessary training, retraining, and information on best procurement procedures to aid in the nation’s development.
The DG BPP emphasised that working with various professional organisations like CIPS would help realise his vision of a Nigeria where all nations would be represented and where local content and industries would flourish. He said that through its many programs and activities, CIPS would be tapped by Nigeria through BPP to enhance ethical procurement practices. Adedokun underlined that the purpose of the MoU was to strengthen the current collaboration with CIPS, a pioneer in international procurement practices and a driving force behind Nigeria’s domestic procurement system.
He emphasised how technology is driving procurement techniques, procedures, and reforms, but he also pointed out that technology would become unusable without proper human development. He asserts that in order for officers to receive the training and certification they need to compete on a worldwide scale, “human capacity development should be the primary focus.”
Since the collaboration with CIPS would benefit more than 8,000 officers, BPP is promoting a career in procurement in Nigeria. Everyone is expected to abide by the appropriate regulatory framework that the BPP, as a regulatory agency, would establish to control procurement ethics, good governance, and procurement practices in Nigeria.
According to Adedokun, the Bureau’s two units—the External Cooperation Unit (ECU) and the Price Intelligent Unit (PIU)—were responsible for implementing the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and using CIPS’s resources about the pricing of goods, services, consulting, and construction in order to eradicate price disparities. The MoU emphasises the two organisations’ shared commitment to creating a more powerful and wealthy Nigeria while uniting them to respect the ideals of ethical procurement procedures.
Mr. Ben Farrell, CEO of CIPS, praised the Nigerian administration for the recent global effect the nation has had. “CIPS brings the best standard in terms of ethical procurement practices, and serves as a benchmark around the world,” he said, adding that the organization’s decision to visit Nigeria was a bigger voice and bigger presence to fulfil the national strategic vision for procurement and the capacity building ambition. Because “procurement is a profession that is relevant around the world, and it is important for Africa and the world to strive towards development,” he claimed that more individuals needed to be skilled in this field.
