NDDC moves to digitise procurement, trains Niger Delta stakeholders

The Niger Delta Development Commission has emphasised the importance of driving policy reforms and digitising its procurement system to improve efficiency, promote transparency and eliminate bottlenecks associated with the manual process.

Speaking during the NDDC Procurement Policy Reform and Digitisation Stakeholders Sensitisation and Training Summit in Imo State, the NDDC Director, Procurement, Chuks Osuji, said the policy reform and digitisation initiative was a critical step towards improving workflow, eliminating inefficiencies and ensuring transparency, efficiency and accountability in the Commission’s procurement process.

This was contained in a statement issued in Port Harcourt on Wednesday by the NDDC Director of Corporate Affairs, Seledi Thompson-Wakama.

Osuji described the reform as an important initiative that would facilitate efficient workflow, eliminate the tedious analogue procurement process and curb nepotism and corruption in the system.

He explained, “This effort is part of a broader commitment to modernise our procurement practices, which reduces inefficiencies and ensures value for money.”

Osuji appreciated the NDDC Managing Director, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, for his transformational activities in the Niger Delta region and for moving the Commission from a manual system to a digitised one.

He urged contractors, consultants, and service providers to embrace the digital procurement platform, noting that the transition would enhance accountability and promote best practices in procurement across the Commission.

In his remarks, the Imo State Representative on the NDDC Board, Dr Kyrian Uchegbu, observed that NDDC was working in line with global best practices and national policy direction,

Uchegbu noted that digital procurement systems offer numerous benefits, which improve efficiency, minimise delays, reduce corruption risks, and create a more transparent and competitive environment for contractors and service providers.

More importantly, he said they provide a reliable audit trail that strengthens institutional accountability.

Also speaking, the NDDC Director, Imo State Office, Mr Patrick Obayelu, said the Commission was implementing the directive of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu that all Ministries, Departments and Agencies should migrate from analogue to digital systems of operation.

He noted that the modernisation and digitalisation were not merely about adopting new technology, “it is about changing mindsets, enhancing transparency, reducing human interference, and ensuring value for money in all procurement activities.”

Obayelu stated, “This summit comes at a critical time, as public institutions across Nigeria are embracing reforms to improve governance systems, eliminate inefficiencies, and strengthen public trust. “Procurement, as we all know, lies at the heart of public service delivery. It determines how resources are allocated, how projects are executed, and ultimately, how development reaches our people.

“Let us remember that procurement reform is not an end in itself; it is a means to achieving better development outcomes. It is about ensuring that roads are built, schools are equipped, healthcare facilities are functional, and communities truly benefit from the resources meant for their development.”

According to him, all contractors doing business with the NDDC would henceforth be required to engage with the interventionist agency through the online procurement platform, which would also provide an effective feedback mechanism for stakeholders.

The Head Procurement and Audit Department, Imo State Bureau of Public Procurement, Engr. Frank Kelechi commended the NDDC for embracing digitisation, describing the initiative as a step in the right direction.

The NDDC training workshop, with the theme, “Promoting Best Procurement Practices and Digital System for the NDDC, has so far been held in Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom, Cross Rivers and Imo States.