Assessing Procurement Practitioners’ Competencies for Public Sector Performance in Nigeria

Globally, government spending on public procurement amounts to approximately $13 trillion, yet inefficiencies caused by weak procurement capacities lead to significant losses. Factors such as inadequate training, poor supplier relationship management, and limited emphasis on sustainability hinder alignment with organisational goals. This paper investigates the essential procurement skills for achieving optimal performance among public sector practitioners in Nigeria. Through an extensive literature review, thirty (30) procurement competencies and skills were identified and categorised into procurement-specific skills (PSS) and soft skills (SS). The study sampled 220 of the 506 Nigerian public procurement practitioners. Data reliability was assessed using Cronbach's alpha, while descriptive statistics were analysed with SPSS IBM version 27.0. Results reveal that fifteen (15) procurement-specific skills, including needs assessment, procurement planning, contract management, and decision-making, are particularly vital with “Needs assessment and Procurement planning” ranked highest. Additionally, twelve (12) soft skills such as analytical thinking, communication, and ethical practice were identified as critical. The findings highlight the importance of targeted training programs to develop these competencies, thereby enhancing procurement effectiveness and sustainability in the public sector. Future research could explore procurement competencies in private organisations and consider alternative frameworks beyond the European Union EU Competency Framework for Public Procurement Professionals, 2020.