By Okeoghene Akubuike
Dr Adebowale Adedokun, Director-General, Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) has called for the adoption of sector-based procurement to improve public service delivery and ensure better value for public spending.
Adedokun made the call on Monday in Abuja at the unveiling of the National Guidelines for Public Procurement of Food and Related Services.
He said the bureau’s ongoing procurement reforms recognised that different sectors had unique operational requirements and service delivery objectives.
“One of the bureau’s key reforms is the transition to sector-based procurement, recognising that each sector has unique requirements and service delivery objectives.
“The Food Procurement Guidelines represent an important step in this direction, demonstrating our commitment to developing sector-specific standards that drive better outcomes,” he said.
The BPP boss called on the over 23 professional bodies, civil society organisations and technical institutions collaborating with the bureau to support the development of sector-specific procurement guidelines.
He said procurement was inherently multidisciplinary, encouraging every sector to develop specialist procurement capacities that combine technical expertise with procurement competence.
“We want to see procurement lawyers, procurement pharmacists, procurement food specialists, procurement IT specialists and other sector professionals equipped with procurement skills.
“This approach will enhance quality, reduce costs and wastage, strengthen technical design, promote innovation, create employment opportunities and deliver more effective sector-specific solutions,” he said.
Adedokun described the guidelines as a milestone in Nigeria’s procurement reform, saying they would shift public food procurement beyond cost considerations to nutrition, food safety, quality assurance and responsible sourcing.
He said the guidelines would provide a framework for integrating nutrition and food safety requirements into procurement planning, bid evaluation, contract award, implementation and monitoring.
He said the bureau would continue to provide policy direction, standards and oversight to ensure effective implementation of the guidelines across ministries, departments and agencies.
The director-general, while giving an overview of the guidelines, said that the BPP’s responsibility was to harmonise procurement policies rather than implement them.
“We are not an implementing agency. We are to provide a baseline upon which agencies that are responsible will follow,” he said.
He said the guidelines would establish minimum standards for food procurement in hospitals, schools, correctional centres, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) camps and other public institutions.
According to him, contractors supplying food to government institutions must comply with nutritional, hygiene and food safety standards prescribed by relevant regulatory agencies.
“In Nigeria, studies have indicated that poor dietary habits are significant drivers of cardiovascular disease and others.
“The purpose is to ensure that we comply with the nutritional standards that promote healthy diets.
“Anything that is going to add to obesity, anything that will increase our hypertensive nature, we can no longer bring them to bear.”
Adedokun said that the reforms would also support small and medium enterprises (SMEs) by lowering unnecessary procurement barriers while maintaining quality standards.
Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, Director-General, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), said the guidelines aligned with national priorities on food safety, nutrition and disease prevention.
“We are particularly pleased that the guidelines reference key regulatory instruments.
“These include the Food Fortification Regulation, the Fats, Oils and Food Containing Fats and Oil Regulation, the National Guidelines for Sodium Reduction Regulation, and the Pre-packaged Food Labelling Regulation in Nigeria.
“These measures will significantly improve dietary quality and help reduce the burden of micronutrient deficiency and non-communicable diseases,” she said.
Adeyeye, represented by Mrs Felicitas Anyanwu, Deputy Director, Food Safety and Applied Nutrition Directorate, urged MDAs, procurement officers, food service providers, manufacturers and development partners to faithfully implement the guideline.
“Its success will depend, not only on today’s launch, but also on consistent implementation, effective monitoring and sustained collaboration among all stakeholders,” she said.
She said NAFDAC would continue to provide technical and regulatory support to ensure compliance with food safety and nutrition standards.
Also, Controller-General of the Nigerian Correctional Service, Sylvester Nwakuche, described the guidelines as a timely intervention that would standardise food procurement for no fewer than 82,000 inmates in custodial centres nationwide.
Nwakuche, represented by Deputy Controller-General, Ismaila Adagiri, said the service had previously relied on open competitive bidding without sector-specific standards, adding that the new guidelines would improve food quality and procurement efficiency.
Dr Kingsley Akinroye, Executive Director, Nigerian Heart Foundation, described the guidelines as a major step towards improving nutrition in public institutions and reducing the burden of cardiovascular and other diet-related diseases.
Akinroye pledged the foundation’s continued advocacy, technical collaboration and public awareness to support the successful implementation of the guidelines.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the guidelines were developed in collaboration with the Federal Ministries of Budget and Economic Planning, Health and Social Welfare, Resolve to Save Lives, the academia and other key stakeholders (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Kadiri Abdulrahman