The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has identified Nigeria’s public procurement system as one of the biggest channels through which corruption is carried out across ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs).
Speaking at a procurement engagement workshop in Abuja, ICPC chairman Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu said the procurement sector remains the highest-risk area for corrupt practices, with recurring problems such as inflated contracts, contract splitting, ghost projects, substandard execution, and abandoned projects. He emphasised that procurement officers play a crucial role in protecting public resources and ensuring that government projects deliver real value to citizens.
Represented by the commission’s secretary, Clifford Oparaodu, Aliyu highlighted the success of the ICPC’s Constituency and Executive Projects Tracking Initiative (CEPTI). Since 2019, the initiative has uncovered numerous cases of duplicated projects, fraudulent budget entries, and contractors who received full payments but delivered work far below agreed standards.
He noted that tracking projects from inception to completion across all geopolitical zones has shown that transparency significantly improves outcomes for communities.
To curb corruption in the procurement system, the ICPC chairman called on MDAs to adopt preventive measures such as publishing procurement plans, clear evaluation criteria, full contract award details, implementation updates with photographic proof, and proper handover documentation. He also urged wider adoption of technology-driven procurement systems to strengthen audit trails and reduce the influence of discretionary human decisions.
Aliyu further advocated legislative reforms, including stricter penalties for procurement violations, establishment of special courts for corruption-related cases, and standardisation of public projects to minimise waste.
The chairman of the House Committee on Anti-Corruption, Hon. Kayode Akiolu, praised the ICPC for prioritising prevention, noting that many practices considered “normal” in Nigeria are in fact corrupt acts.
Director-general of the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), Dr. Adebowale Adedokun, added that ICPC’s interventions have improved compliance across MDAs. He highlighted the recently approved National Infrastructure Development Policy, which now provides a stronger legal framework to prosecute contractors who deliver substandard work.
