By Johnbosco Agbakwuru & Nkiruka Nnorom
A report by the US Department of State has alleged a lack of transparency in Nigeria’s public procurement contracts, categorising it among 32 other African countries without any significant progress in the fiscal policy space.
But the Bureau of Public Procurement, BPP, in a swift reaction, described the allegation as false and lacking in merit.
However, in its 2025 Fiscal Transparency Report, the US noted that while Nigeria had made progress in making budget documents and debt obligations publicly available, the country’s failure to disclose information on public procurement contracts raised concerns about accountability and good governance.
The report, which highlighted significant areas for improvement in the country’s fiscal transparency, also indicted African countries, such as Egypt, Algeria, Libya, Cameroon, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, Sierra Leone, The Gambia, Chad, Angola, Gabon, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Lesotho, Sao Tome and Principe, Burundi, and Tanzania, among others.
On steps needed to improve transparency, the US Department of State said there is need for government to ensure that supreme audit institution meets international standards of independence and publish audit reports of the government’s executed budgets as well as make information on public procurement contracts readily and easily accessible.
