The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) will fully automate its procurement processes by the end of the first quarter of this year to strengthen transparency, compliance and service delivery, the Commission’s Managing Director, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, has said.
Ogbuku made the disclosure at the Mandatory Continuous Procurement Capacity Development Training Programme organised by the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) at the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) Centre for Skills Development, Port Harcourt.
He said the automation drive was part of broader reforms aimed at improving corporate governance and internal processes within the Commission. “We will soon automate our procurement processes to ensure compliance, transparency and better service delivery. We have recently reformed our corporate governance structure and internal processes,” he stated.
According to him, the NDDC has commenced the implementation of a new Governance Advisory Service to deepen accountability and transparency in service delivery. He added that hosting the training in the Niger Delta underscored the region’s stability and its contribution to national peace.
“We have transitioned from transaction to transformation, and this is evident in our public procurement processes,” Ogbuku said, stressing that the Commission places premium value on due process in public procurement.
He disclosed that the NDDC currently has 35 BPP-certified procurement professionals in its procurement unit and continues to prioritise capacity building through regular training and retraining. He also noted ongoing ICT training for staff to boost digital competence in line with the Commission’s automation agenda.
Highlighting achievements under his leadership, Ogbuku cited the success of the Operation Light Up the Niger Delta initiative, one of the Commission’s flagship programmes, adding that projects are now guided by needs assessment. “Mr President loves the Niger Delta, and we are doing our best to bring his programmes home to the people,” he said.
In his welcome address, the Director-General of the Bureau of Public Procurement, Dr Adebowale Adedokun, commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his commitment to procurement reforms and transparency, which he said had strengthened professionalism and repositioned procurement as a key driver of the Renewed Hope Agenda.
Adedokun said the capacity-building programme reflected the Bureau’s resolve to institutionalise a cadre of trained, certified and accountable procurement professionals, noting that it was designed to enhance competence, ethical standards and professionalism within Nigeria’s procurement system.
“The training is in line with the requirements of the Procurement Act. Procurement is a distinct cadre that provides the foundation for effective project delivery,” he said, urging participants to fully engage in the programme and uphold due process at all times.
Delivering the keynote address titled “The Role of Procurement Officers in the Delivery of the Renewed Hope Agenda,” Chairman of the Federal Capital Territory Civil Service Commission, Engr. Emeka Ezeh, described procurement as a critical instrument of good governance and a potent tool in the fight against corruption.
He urged procurement officers to internalise and align their responsibilities with the eight priority areas of President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
