A QUALITATIVE INQUIRY INTO THE HUMAN DIMENSIONS OF E- ROCUREMENT ADOPTION IN THE NIGERIAN PUBLIC SECTOR

The adoption of electronic procurement (e-procurement) systems in the Nigerian public sector has been promoted as a strategic tool for enhancing efficiency, transparency, and accountability in government spending. However, implementation has remained slow and fragmented, with many public entities struggling to translate adoption decisions into successful implementation. While technical and infrastructural challenges have been extensively documented, the human dimensions of e-procurement adoption particularly the perceptions, experiences, and attitudes of procurement professionals who are the primary users of these systems have received insufficient scholarly attention. This qualitative study explores the lived experiences of procurement officers in Benue State Ministries regarding e-procurement adoption. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with 25 procurement professionals from five selected ministries, the study investigates how procurement personnel perceive e-procurement systems, the challenges they encounter in using these systems, and the factors that influence their acceptance or resistance. The findings revealed that while procurement officers recognize the potential benefits of e-procurement, their actual experiences are shaped by a complex interplay of factors including inadequate infrastructure, insufficient training, resistance to change, system integration challenges, and concerns about job security. The study contributes to the growing body of knowledge on e-procurement in developing countries by providing rich, contextual insights into the human factors that facilitate or impede successful adoption. The findings have implications for policy formulation, training program design, and change management strategies in the Nigerian public sector.