Assessing the Impact of Sustainable Procurement Practices on Poverty Alleviation in Abuja, Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria

Poverty is a serious a national challenge in Nigerian communities. This study explores the impact of sustainable procurement practices by FCT’s, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) on poverty reduction, driven by the need to align procurement strategies with broader socio-economic development goals. The study applied a mixed-methods approach combining quantitative and qualitative research approaches. Data were collected using quantitative survey question which were distributed to 320 respondents and semi-structured interviews conducted with 30 key stakeholders across MDAs in FCT. The study applied descriptive statistics, and ANOVA to analyze the data. The ANOVA results gave a p-value of 0356, which is less than 0.05 and thus the null hypothesis was rejected, while the alternative hypothesis was accepted. Key findings of the indicate that while sustainable procurement is not yet fully integrated into most MDAs in the FCT, it is recognized as a potential tool for poverty reduction through job creation, meeting critical needs of communities and facilitates local economic growth and development. In conclusion, the study highlights the need for more robust policies, enhanced capacity-building initiatives, and stronger leadership commitment to embed sustainability into procurement processes. Key recommendations include increasing training for procurement professionals, improving policy frameworks to explicitly incorporate sustainability and poverty reduction objectives, and addressing financial barriers through alternative financing mechanisms. These study contributes to more effective integration of sustainable procurement practices, ultimately enhancing their role in poverty reduction in Nigeria.