CAUSES OF NON-COMPLIANCE WITH PUBLIC PROCUREMENT ACT, 2007 AMONG FEDERAL AND STATES TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS IN PROJECT DELIVERY IN SOUTHWEST, NIGERIA

The procurement system in Nigeria is known to be bedeviled with mismanagement and corruption. The scenario prompted the enactment of Public Procurement Act, (PPA) 2007 which regulates all procurement of projects made with public funds. The Act was enacted to be complied with by both the federal and state governments together with Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) in their procurement of goods, works and services. Studies however, have shown that compliance with the Act by the various procurement entities is affected by diverse challenges. This study investigates and compares the various causes of non-compliance with the PPA, 2007 among two prominent categories of government sponsored tertiary institutions in Southwest, Nigeria namely; Federal Tertiary Institutions (FTIs) and State Tertiary Institutions (STI). A questionnaire survey research approach which involved a field survey of Federal and state Tertiary Institutions in Southwest, Nigeria was carried out. In all, 44 Higher Education institutions comprising 17 federal tertiary institutions and 27 state tertiary institutions were used for the study. The perception of the institutions' Procurement Officers on the problems associated with the implementation and compliance with the provisions of the Act and their consequences were sampled using structured questionnaires.The results revealed that unfamiliarity with the provisions of the Act, poor record management, unprofessionalism, inadequate organizational incentives and media publicity were the major causes of non-compliance.