Public Procurement Act: An Assessment of Implementation and Compliance in Yobe State, Nigeria

Abstract

Following the World Bank’s recommendation, the Federal Public Procurement Act was enacted in Nigeria in 2007 to ensure transparency, competition, and value for money in the procurement of goods, works, and services, with all states mandated to adopt a local model. In 2016, Yobe State implemented the Yobe State Public Procurement Law to achieve these goals. This study examines the implementation and compliance of the Yobe State law, utilizing structured questionnaires from 160 stakeholders selected through a purposive, maximum variation sampling approach. The participants included 40 procurement officers, 40 accounting officers, 50 contractors, 15 civil society organization officials, and 15 staff of the Yobe State Bureau for Public Procurement. Analysis of field data on five key procurement drivers, showing strong internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.864), revealed an overall weighted mean score of 2.31 on a 4-point Likert scale, indicating widespread dissatisfaction with the law’s implementation and compliance. The study concludes that the law is not currently achieving its desired goals and recommends, among others, establishing a statutory commission comprising judges, prosecutors, and engineers, with full authority to prosecute and try violators.