Public Procurement Process and Project Delivery Efficiency of Federal Government Agencies in Nigeria

Abstract

This study investigated the relationship between public procurement process and project delivery efficiency of federal government agencies in Nigeria. The study was motivated by persistent concerns over delayed project execution, abandoned projects, and poor-quality infrastructure despite several procurement reforms in the Nigerian public sector. Public procurement process was proxied by contractors vetting and open bidding, while project delivery efficiency was measured using project completion rate and project quality. The population of the study consisted of 90 federal government agencies in Nigeria. The study adopted the census approach since the population size was relatively small. Primary data were collected through a well-structured questionnaire designed on a five-point Likert scale to obtain responses from the respondents. A total of 250 copies of the questionnaire were distributed, out of which 235 copies were collected and used for the analysis. The study employed descriptive statistics for univariate analysis, while the Pearson Product Moment Correlation technique was used to test the formulated hypotheses with the aid of Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 22. The findings revealed that contractors vetting has a positive and significant relationship with project completion rate and project quality. Empirical evidence shows that open bidding has a significant positive relationship with project completion rate and project quality in federal government agencies in Nigeria. These findings indicate that effective contractors vetting and transparent competitive bidding processes enhance accountability, reduce procurement risks, and improve project execution outcomes. The study concludes that public procurement process is a critical determinant of project delivery efficiency in federal government agencies in Nigeria. Strengthening contractors vetting procedures and institutionalizing transparent open bidding practices are essential for improving project completion rates and ensuring quality infrastructure delivery. The study recommends, among others, strict enforcement of procurement regulations, capacity building for procurement personnel, adoption of electronic procurement systems, and performance-based contractor’s evaluation to enhance procurement effectiveness and improve project delivery efficiency in Nigeria.