• Nigeria launches digital platform to monitor education procurement processes

• System aims reduce delays, improve transparency and compliance

• Reform supports larger education funding in Nigeria’s 2026 budget

Nigeria's federal government has launched the Procurement Compliance Monitoring System (PICOMS), a digital platform designed to improve transparency, accountability and efficiency in education sector procurement.

The announcement was made on Wednesday, March 11, in Abuja by Education Minister Maruf Olatunji Alausa during a capacity-building session for procurement officials. Alausa said many education projects are delayed due to incomplete documentation, poorly prepared submissions and procedural errors.

FEDERAL MINISTRY OF EDUCATION
PRESS RELEASE
11 March 2026

FG LAUNCHES PICOMS TO ELIMINATE PROCUREMENT DELAYS IN EDUCATION SECTOR

The Federal Government has introduced the Procurement Compliance Monitoring System (PICOMS), a digital platform designed to improve transparency,… pic.twitter.com/K0OHwLmILZ

— Federal Ministry of Education (@NigEducation) March 12, 2026

"Ensuring compliance with procurement rules is essential to proper project execution and sound management of public resources," he said.

The director-general of the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), Adebowale Adebukola Adedokun, also highlighted recurring problems in procurement procedures, particularly insufficient documentation.

The platform will digitize procurement monitoring, track submissions in real time and reduce approval delays across the ministry, its agencies and higher education institutions.

Public procurement is strategically important for Nigeria given the scale of government spending. The country's total budget in 2024 stood at 28.77 trillion naira ($15 billion), of which 32% was allocated to capital expenditure, the BPP said. The country nonetheless continues to face significant challenges, including corruption and administrative delays.

Several reforms have been introduced to address these challenges, including the digitization of procedures through real-time tracking platforms and the streamlining of processes to cut delays. In October 2025, the BPP and the Equipment Leasing Regulation Agency (ELRA) signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at strengthening cooperation between the two institutions and improving procurement procedures and equipment leasing.

In recent years, the Nigerian government has introduced initiatives to make education a central driver of national development. Public funding for the sector has increased, reaching 3.52 trillion naira in the 2026 budget, according to government data.

Charlène N’dimon