The U.S. report said NASS lacks transparency in the procurement process.
Nigeria News Nalin The report said the U.S. Trade Representative’s findings raised concerns about the transparency of the procurement process of the Nigerian National Assembly.
This finding, published in the 2025 National Trade Estimate (NTE) report on foreign trade barriers, highlights the challenges Nigeria has worked to establish bidding practices for open competitive competition.
NTE is an annual report detailing the foreign trade barriers faced by U.S. exporters and the efforts of USTR to reduce these obstacles.
Although the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) has made progress by publishing procurement procedures and tender information on its website, the report says the National Assembly is supervised independently of the BPP.
“BPP has publicly provided various procurement procedures and bidding information on its website. However, the Nigerian National Assembly operates its own procurement process, is not supervised by BPP, and lacks transparency,” Report claims.
The lack of accountability has led to concerns about corruption and inefficiency in procurement systems.
Key findings in the report
The U.S. Trade Representative noted that although U.S. companies have successfully obtained contracts in various departments In NigeriaThey often have difficulties receiving payments.
- These challenges prevent companies from participating in the bidding process. Furthermore, financing arrangements for foreign government subsidized financing appear to play an important role in awarding government contracts, further complicating the procurement landscape.
- The report also stressed that Nigerian government agencies often fail to comply with established procurement guidelines.
For example, the procurement process is only guaranteed to be available and obtained by the procurement entityNo objection certificate‘ Contract Award” From BPP. However, these requirements do not consistently undermine the credibility of the system.
Foreign companies may also face other obstacles when bidding for contracts in Nigeria, such as working with local companies or joining consortiums.
The report also criticized customs inconsistencies and practices, which are trade barriers.
Background and broader meaning
The Public Procurement Act of 2007 established BPP as a regulatory body responsible for monitoring and overseeing public procurement in Nigeria.
Despite this framework, independent procurement practices in the National Assembly remain a major obstacle to achieving full transparency and accountability.
According to the report, Nigeria is neither a party to the WTO Government Procurement Agreement (GPA) nor an observer of the WTO Government Procurement Committee, not limited to its integration into global procurement standards.
What you should know
President Bola Tinubu’s management intentions intend to strengthen economic ties with the United States.
- The Nigerian government held a bilateral meeting between Mr. Massad Boulos in Paris, France, and the Nigerian government announced plans to establish a strategic economic and security partnership with the United States to promote mutual respect, prosperity, prosperity and regional stability.
- The announcement comes amid a 14% tariff on Nigeria exports by U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration. Despite these trade challenges, the U.S. government expressed interest in expanding U.S. investment in Nigeria and Africa as a whole.
- The findings of the U.S. Trade Representative report highlighted the need for Nigeria to address transparency in its procurement process.
Strengthening oversight and ensuring compliance with established guidelines can enhance investor confidence and promote more international cooperation.
As Nigeria seeks to establish strategic partnerships with global powers like the United States, improving its procurement framework is crucial to achieving sustainable economic growth.
