CSOs Back FG’s Procurement Reforms, Warn Against Politicisation

Michael Olugbode in Abuja

A coalition of civil society and regional development organisations has thrown its weight behind the Federal Government’s ongoing public procurement reforms, describing them as critical to transparency, fiscal discipline and improved service delivery in Nigeria.

Speaking at a media briefing in Abuja, the groups, the Northern Youth Integrity Group (NYIG), Oduduwa Development Initiative (ODI), and other civil society partners, said the reform process aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Federal Government and is designed to correct long-standing structural weaknesses that have enabled inefficiency, inflated costs and abuse within the public spending system.

In a joint address to journalists, the coalition commended the media for its role in promoting accountability and informed public discourse, noting that procurement reforms often attract intense scrutiny and competing narratives because of the interests involved.

The groups stressed that their intervention was not driven by political loyalties or personal considerations, but by a long-standing commitment to governance reform and the national interest.

According to the coalition, Nigeria’s development ambitions — including sustainable economic growth, infrastructure renewal and improved public services — cannot be realised if public procurement remains opaque, discretionary and resistant to oversight.

They explained that the current reform trajectory seeks to entrench professionalism, predictability and transparency within the procurement ecosystem, while strengthening value-for-money outcomes in government spending.

The civil society organisations highlighted key elements of the reform measures to include the rationalisation of procurement approval thresholds, enhanced prior-review and compliance mechanisms, standardised bidding and evaluation processes, enforceable sanctions against defaulting contractors, and a gradual transition to a comprehensive electronic procurement system.

While acknowledging that meaningful reform often attracts resistance, the coalition said such pushback was inevitable from systems and actors accustomed to weak controls and informal influence.

The groups also distanced themselves from what they described as unsubstantiated allegations and attempts by external actors to use civil society platforms to pursue personal or political vendettas against individuals in government.

They maintained that advocacy must remain evidence-based and responsible, warning against anonymous claims, sponsored narratives and coordinated misinformation campaigns capable of undermining genuine reform efforts under the guise of accountability.

“Our position remains firm,” the coalition stated, adding that procurement reform is a governance necessity that must be safeguarded against politicisation or rollback.