Femi Gbajabiamila, the Chief of Staff to the President, has praised the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) for its role in preventing the country from losing N1.7 trillion due to procurement process loopholes.
He noted that these savings were achieved between 2009 and 2022.
Gbajabiamila made these comments following an assessment tour of various agencies under the State House’s supervision. He promised that the act establishing the BPP would be reviewed to align it with international best practices, aiming to cut down on corruption, red tape, and bureaucracy.
His remarks were made in response to a presentation by Olusegun Omotola, the acting Director-General of the BPP.
“I commend the BPP for saving the federal government N1.7 trillion from 2009 to 2022 by blocking potential procurement loopholes,” Gbajabiamila said. He also mentioned that the review process would include looking into staff remuneration and comparing it with that of similar agencies, like the Debt Management Office, which has had its salary structure reviewed multiple times.
As a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Gbajabiamila stated that the 2025 budget for State House agencies would be determined based on a detailed needs assessment to ensure that funds are allocated according to actual needs.
He also highlighted that the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) has contributed over N1 trillion to the Federal Government since 1999 and emphasized the need for further improvements.
“We are prepared to work with you to ensure you meet your goals effectively,” Gbajabiamila assured.
In related news, Ayodeji Gbeleyi, the Director-General of the BPE, revealed that the agency had generated N93.4 billion from privatization projects in the first and second quarters of 2024, although this fell short of the revised target of N259.7 billion.
