Oluwatobi Adu 
PORT HARCOURT, Nigeria – The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) plans to fully automate its procurement processes by April, as part of reforms aimed at boosting transparency, efficiency and accountability.
Managing Director Samuel Ogbuku announces the plan while addressing participants at a procurement capacity training 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,” Mr Ogbuku says.
He explains that the commission has already restructured its governance framework, moving away from manual systems toward technology-driven oversight. According to him, projects are now subjected to rigorous evaluation before approval to ensure they deliver measurable value to host communities.
Mr Ogbuku links the reforms to President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, noting that digital procurement will reduce human interference and curb corruption.
Collaboration with the BPP, he adds, led to the certification of 35 NDDC procurement officers in 2024, strengthening institutional capacity. He cites initiatives such as Operation Light Up the Niger Delta as evidence of improved project delivery.
BPP Director-General Adebowale Adedokun praises the reforms, saying professional procurement practices are now central to national governance reforms. Meanwhile, Emeka Ezeh of the Federal Capital Territory Civil Service Commission urges participants to deploy automation as a “powerful weapon against graft.”
Analysts say the shift, if fully implemented, could mark a turning point for the long-criticised intervention agency.
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