Assessment of Public Sector Procurement Reform and Its Impact on Cost Management in Kano State

Public procurement reform is a critical governance instrument for improving value for money in government spending. This study assesses the impact of the Public Procurement Act 2007 and Kano State's procurement legislation on cost management outcomes in public building projects. A mixed-method design was employed, with 85 respondents comprising procurement officers, quantity surveyors, and contractor representatives. Document analysis of 40 procurement records complemented the questionnaire data. Analysis involved descriptive statistics, compliance scoring, and content analysis. Findings indicate that while Kano State has adopted procurement reform legislation, implementation is inconsistent, with compliance varying significantly between ministries and project values. Cost management outcomes are better in procurements that adhere to competitive tendering and proper bills of quantities, confirming the reform's theoretical intent. However, split tendering to circumvent thresholds, inadequate technical evaluation of bids, and absence of post-award performance monitoring undermine reform effectiveness. Recommendations include strengthening the Kano State Public Procurement Bureau's monitoring capacity, mandatory post-award quantity surveyor engagement for all contracts above N100 million, and automated e-procurement platforms to reduce human intervention in award processes. Findings are relevant to ongoing procurement governance discussions in North West Nigeria. Keywords: public procurement reform, cost management, Kano State, procurement compliance, quantity surveying