AI in Open Contracting

As part of our efforts to make public procurement data easily accessible, up-to-date, and understandable to build trust and support citizens to hold the government accountable through open contracting platforms, we recently developed a user-friendly AI-integrated platform in Edo, Ekiti, and Plateau States. This was designed to extract information directly from physical contracts and convert it into structured procurement data with minimal effort. The automation not only accelerates the publishing process but also ensures the consistent availability of accurate procurement information for public scrutiny, thereby promoting increased citizens’ participation in governance processes. It also provides tools for understanding public procurement processes and uses the red flag methodology to detect potential irregularities, supporting citizens, journalists, and civil society organizations in actively engaging in governance processes. Citizens can track how public funds are spent and identify contract awardees. With its natural language capabilities, accessing relevant procurement data has been made easier.