Abuja: The Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) and the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) have called for a robust partnership to enhance professionalism and bridge the gaps in the nation’s public procurement system. This initiative is designed to foster stronger ties between procurement and accounting professionals, ultimately bolstering ongoing reforms aimed at improving accountability, transparency, and the prudent use of public funds.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the call for collaboration was emphasized during a visit by the President and Chairman of Council, Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), along with his team, to the Director-General of BPP, Dr. Adebowale Adedokun. Adedokun highlighted that a strengthened partnership would not only solidify ongoing reforms but also contribute significantly to fiscal discipline, having already saved the Federal Government approximately N350 billion as of 2025.
Dr. Adedokun stressed the importance of accountants acquiring procurement competencies due to the multidisciplinary nature of procurement, which plays strategic roles across diverse professions. He urged ICAN to create a unit dedicated to equipping accountants with procurement knowledge, emphasizing that such capabilities would aid in monitoring contracts and prices, thereby preventing overcharging and wastage.
Adedokun further called for ICAN to collaborate with BPP to advocate for procurement reforms that promote transparency, accountability, and alignment with global best practices. He expressed the bureau’s readiness to formalize this partnership through a Memorandum of Understanding and establish a joint working team to drive the collaboration forward.
In response, ICAN President Malam Haruna Yahaya praised Dr. Adedokun’s leadership for facilitating key reforms, such as the National Procurement Certification Portal and debarment processes. Yahaya noted that these reforms had significantly improved transparency and accountability in the procurement process, leading to cost savings of over N173 billion.
Yahaya outlined potential partnership areas, including support for forensic auditing and data analytics, capacity building for BPP officials, sponsorship and professional up-skilling, and joint research and policy collaboration. He also invited Dr. Adedokun to participate as a guest speaker on ICAN’s weekly broadcast, ‘ICAN on Air’, to further educate members on contemporary procurement issues.
Yahaya concluded by highlighting ICAN’s longstanding tradition of producing skilled professionals central to accountability systems across all levels of government and emphasized that deeper collaboration with BPP would reinforce national public financial management.