Title: Examining the Benefits and Challenges of E-Procurement Implementation in Selected Niger Delta States, Nigeria
Authors: Godwin Okechukwu Amadi
Benedicta U. Dike
Obiukwu Osita
Volume: 10
Issue: 5
Pages: 131-140
Publication Date: 2026/05/28
Abstract:
This study examines the benefits and challenges of e-procurement implementation in selected Niger Delta states - Rivers, Cross River, and Akwa Ibom, covering procurement activities over the period 2020-2025. Anchored on five specific objectives, the study investigates transparency gains, extent of adoption across Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), barriers to implementation, cost-effectiveness relative to traditional methods, and strategies for improving e-procurement uptake in sub-national governance. The study is theoretically grounded in the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), and Institutional Theory. A mixed-methods survey research design was adopted, with primary data obtained from 135 procurement-related personnel through a validated structured questionnaire and semi-structured interview guide. Descriptive statistics and one-sample t-tests (? = 0.05) were employed for quantitative analysis, while thematic analysis was applied to qualitative data. Findings reveal that transparency is the most highly rated benefit (mean = 4.58; SD = 0.65; t = 28.654; p < 0.05), demonstrating that digital procurement platforms significantly reduce corruption and provide verifiable audit trails. E-procurement also significantly reduces transaction costs and processing time (mean = 4.55; SD = 0.71; t = 29.042; p < 0.05). Principal barriers include inadequate ICT infrastructure (mean = 4.40; SD = 0.99; t = 19.289; p < 0.05), weak legal and institutional enforcement frameworks (mean = 4.45; SD = 1.05; t = 22.841; p < 0.05), and organizational resistance driven by insufficient training rather than fear of job displacement (mean = 4.03; SD = 1.00; t = 11.952; p < 0.05). All five null hypotheses were rejected at p < 0.05. The study concludes that e-procurement holds significant transformative potential for public procurement governance in the Niger Delta, but this potential remains largely unrealized due to compounding deficits in ICT infrastructure, human capacity, organizational culture, and legal enforcement. Targeted and sustained investment in ICT infrastructure, comprehensive capacity-building programmes, and robust legal reform are recommended.