Supply Chain Governance Mechanisms and Performance in Public Sector Procurement: An Empirical Study of Federal Ministries in Abuja

This study empirically examines the relationship between supply chain governance mechanisms and performance in public sector procurement among federal ministries based in Abuja, Federal Capital Territory, North Central Nigeria. Public procurement governance, including institutional oversight, compliance audit systems, e-procurement platforms, and vendor accountability mechanisms, has been theorised as critical for ensuring value for money and reducing corruption in government supply chains. Using a quantitative design, structured questionnaires were administered to 160 procurement officers, internal auditors, and procurement monitoring officers across 16 federal ministries in Abuja. Governance mechanisms are operationalised across four dimensions: structural oversight adequacy, procedural compliance enforcement, information system capability, and accountability culture. Supply chain performance is measured through procurement cost efficiency, contract delivery compliance rate, and stakeholder satisfaction index. Structural equation modelling is used to test the hypothesised governance-performance relationships. The study draws on principal-agent theory, transaction cost economics, and recent public procurement governance literature. Findings are expected to reveal that accountability culture and e-procurement system capability are the strongest governance predictors of procurement performance, while structural oversight alone is insufficient without enforcement capacity. The study contributes an empirically tested governance model to a literature base dominated by qualitative case analyses. Recommendations address the Bureau of Public Procurement, the Federal Ministry of Finance, and the Office of the Accountant General on systemic governance reforms to improve federal supply chain performance. Keywords: supply chain governance, public sector procurement, federal ministries, Abuja, performance.