Quantity Surveyors Pledge to Support BPP’s Reform Agenda With Standard Measurement Methods, ICMS Framework

Bennett Oghifo

The Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (NIQS) commended the Director-General of the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), Dr. Adebowale A. Adedokun, for progress in the Bureau’s ongoing procurement reforms.

Speaking on behalf of the Institute, during a courtesy visit to the agency’s headquarters in Abuja, NIQS President Dr. Aminu Muhammad Bashir, FNIQS, cited recent developments under Dr. Adedokun’s leadership, including the July 13 launch of the National Guidelines for Public Procurement of Food and Related Services and a May 2026 circular mandating final designs before contract awards — a measure aimed at curbing recurring problems such as excessive contract variations and cost overruns.

QS Bashir also pointed to the Bureau’s reported savings of approximately ₦1.1 trillion for the Federal Government in 2025, attributed to improved price intelligence and budget evaluation, describing the outcomes as consistent with cost management principles long advocated by the quantity surveying profession.

NIQS Welcomes Presidential Decision on CIPSMN Bill

The NIQS President further conveyed the Institute’s appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for declining assent to the proposed amendment of the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply Management of Nigeria (CIPSMN) Act. NIQS said the decision addressed concerns it had raised over potential overlap between the bill’s proposed provisions and the statutory mandates of established procurement-related professions, warning that such duplication risks weakening public accountability.

Dr. Bashir urged the BPP, as regulator, to ensure the roles of existing statutory bodies, including quantity surveyors, remain clearly defined as new procurement frameworks are developed.

BPP Welcomes Continued Collaboration

Responding, Dr. Adedokun welcomed the delegation, stating that the visit “gladdens his heart.” He acknowledged the contributions of NIQS members to the Bureau’s reforms and said the current phase of procurement reform was focused on outcomes rather than process alone. The Bureau’s approach, he said, was now centred on “output, value for life and value for money,” rather than input measures alone.

Both parties discussed continued collaboration, with NIQS reaffirming its readiness to participate in the National Procurement Strategy Development Committee and offering to make available its Standard Methods of Measurement and the International Cost Management Standard (ICMS) framework to support the Bureau’s work.

The meeting concluded with both sides expressing commitment to further engagement on procurement policy and professional regulation matters going forward.