Lagos pushes Procurement Officers to adopt smarter, sustainable spending strategies

Procurement professionals in Lagos State have been urged to re-strategise their procurement approaches in response to shrinking resources, rising public scrutiny and the growing need for sustainability-driven governance.

The call was made at the end of a two-day retreat organised by the Lagos State Public Procurement Agency, where officers in the procurement professional cadre were challenged to move beyond routine compliance and adopt strategic, value-focused procurement practices.

Speaking at the retreat, the Director-General of the agency, Mr Fatai Idowu Onafowote, said procurement officers must rethink how public funds are spent, stressing that traditional approaches are no longer sufficient in the face of limited resources and increasing demand for accountability.

He noted that public procurement represents a major driver of economic and social outcomes and must therefore be deliberately aligned with sustainability goals.

Onafowote urged officers to integrate environmental sustainability, waste reduction and long-term system efficiency into procurement planning, while also embracing innovation and transparency to rebuild public trust.

According to him, procurement decisions must now be guided not only by cost, but by long-term value and societal impact.

He explained that the retreat was designed to equip participants with practical tools that could be immediately applied within their Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), adding that each officer was expected to return to duty with clear, actionable strategies for improving procurement outcomes.

Speaking, the Director of Monitoring and Compliance, Mrs Bola Adeniran, reinforced the need for continuous capacity building, urging officers to embrace technology and professional excellence as key drivers of relevance and effectiveness in public service.

Earlier, the Head of Procurement at the agency, Mr Subair Moruf Akintunde, described procurement officers as frontline champions of sustainability, noting that the retreat was convened to reset thinking and strengthen commitment to responsible procurement practices.

Facilitator Mrs Cima Sholotan of Harleyreed encouraged participants to take ownership of their professional environment and consider the social implications of procurement decisions, while Mr Ajenifuja Olajide of the Office of Sustainable Development Goals called for the harmonisation of the 17 SDGs in daily procurement activities.