NDDC to Automate Procurement Processes by April - Managing Director

The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) will fully automate its procurement processes on or before April, in a move aimed at strengthening transparency, compliance and service delivery, according to its Managing Director, Dr Samuel Ogbuku.

The disclosure was contained in a statement issued on Tuesday in Port Harcourt by the NDDC Director of Corporate Affairs, Mrs Seledi Thompson-Wakama.

According to the statement, Ogbuku made the announcement while speaking at the Mandatory Continuous Procurement Capacity Development Training Programme organised by the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) in Port Harcourt.

“We will soon automate our procurement processes to ensure compliance, transparency and improved service delivery,” Ogbuku said. He noted that the commission had already reformed its corporate governance framework and internal processes to enhance accountability.

Ogbuku said the NDDC had begun implementing a new Governance Advisory Service designed to promote transparency and improve service delivery across its operations.

He explained that the commission had shifted from transaction-based operations to more transformational processes, a transition that has led to visible improvements in its public procurement system.

“In the NDDC, we take public procurement very seriously. Training and retraining are essential in every organisation,” he said.

The managing director added that the commission partnered with the BPP in 2024 to train its personnel and now has 35 BPP-certified professionals within its procurement unit.

Highlighting recent achievements, Ogbuku said the Operation Light Up the Niger Delta programme had recorded notable successes across the region.

“We undertake projects based on proper needs assessment to ensure meaningful impact.

“President Bola Tinubu loves the Niger Delta, and we are committed to bringing his programmes closer to the people,” he said.

Also speaking at the event, the Director-General of the BPP, Dr Adebowale Adedokun, commended President Tinubu for driving procurement reforms within the public sector.

Adedokun said the reforms had enhanced transparency and professionalism, positioning public procurement as a critical tool for delivering the Renewed Hope Agenda.

He explained that the capacity-building programme was designed to institutionalise trained, certified and accountable procurement professionals across the public service.

“The training aligns with the Procurement Act and is designed to enhance participants’ capacity for effective project delivery,” he said.

He urged participants to take full advantage of the programme and to consistently uphold due process and ethical standards.

In his remarks, the Chairman of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Civil Service Commission, Mr Emeka Ezeh, described procurement as a vital instrument for good governance and accountability.

Ezeh said procurement also served as an important mechanism for combating corruption in the public sector.

“You must internalise the eight priority areas of the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Tinubu’s administration,” he told the trainees.