In a renewed effort to curb corruption and reduce public sector wastage, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has paid a solidarity visit to the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), deepening institutional collaboration on digital governance.
The Director-General of BPP, Dr. Adebowale A. Adedokun, MCIPS, ACFE, while receiving the NITDA delegation at his office in Abuja, described the visit as “historic and strategic,” noting that it will further standardize and ensure compliance in the procurement of IT-related projects across Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs).
Dr. Adedokun emphasized the importance of digitalizing procurement processes, stressing that it not only shortens project turn-around time but also plays a critical role in combating corruption and eliminating duplication of IT initiatives. He charged both BPP and NITDA with the responsibility of upholding the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, by promoting efficiency and transparency in governance.
Highlighting the need for cross-agency cooperation, Dr. Adedokun called for the inclusion of key institutions such as the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, the Auditor General for the Federation, and anti-corruption agencies to monitor and audit procurement implementations. He proposed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between BPP and NITDA to strengthen their existing collaboration in areas such as capacity building, ICT competency, procurement standardization, and IT price intelligence.
In response, NITDA Director-General/CEO, Dr. Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to reforms that enhance service delivery and governance. He disclosed that NITDA is reviewing its IT Clearance Guidelines to promote transparency and ensure accountability in the execution of government digital projects.
Dr. Abdullahi also revealed NITDA’s plans to build a National E-Government Master Plan and a Nigeria Government Enterprise Architecture — IT frameworks designed to deliver integrated and seamless services to citizens. He outlined a three-stage approach to IT project compliance: Solution Design certification, Implementation with a focus on cybersecurity and network security, and a Quality Assurance phase to validate outcomes before payment.
Dr. Adedokun further recommended integrating BPP into NITDA’s procurement portal for better information sharing and suggested that legal experts from MDAs be trained in IT-related legal processes to strengthen contract frameworks.
Both agencies agreed to set up a joint task force to finalize the MoU and drive the collaborative agenda forward, marking a significant step toward more transparent, accountable, and technology-driven governance in Nigeria.
