Development of e-tendering evaluation system for Nigerian public sector Bello Abdullahi Department of Building, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria Yahaya Makarfi Ibrahim Department of Quantity Surveying, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria Ahmed Ibrahim Department of Quantity Surveying, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria, and Kabir Bala Department of Building, Ahmadu Bello University, Faculty of Environmental Design, Zaria, Nigeria Abstract Purpose – The revolution brought about by the internet and the World Wide Web has led to the development of numerous e-Tendering systems for public sector tendering that have automated various aspects of the manual tendering processes that are known to experience numerous problems. However, one key area that has not been fully addressed is the automation of the evaluation of public tenders based on group decision-making. This paper presents part of the development of a Web-based e-tendering system called Nigerian Public Sector eTender (NPS-eTender) that automate the evaluation of public sector tenders based on group decision-making. Design/methodology/approach – The system was developed using object-oriented methodologies. Specifically, Ripple and unified process methodologies were adopted. Findings – The results of the system validation showed that NPS-eTender has an average rating of 74% with respect to correct and accurate modelling of the existing tendering domain and an average rating of 67.6% with respect to its potential to enhance the proficiency of public sector tendering in Nigeria. Based on the results of the validation, it can be concluded that the automation of the tender evaluation process can lead to a more proficient tendering process. Originality/value – This research has contributed to the development of an e-Tendering system for the public sector that supports the whole tendering lifecycle including the automation of evaluation of public tenders based on group decision-making. Keywords Conceptual model, e-Procurement, e-Tendering, Requirement model, Tendering process Paper type Research paper 1. Introduction Manual paper-based tendering processes, particularly in public sector procurement, are known to be inefficient, less transparent and prone to corrupt practices (Yap et al., 1994; Ng et al., 2007). To address these problems, various governments across the globe have transitioned to e-Tendering systems which have significantly improved the proficiency of the tendering process (EDSA, 2011; eTEG, 2012). These systems have replaced to various JEDT 18,1 122 Received 6 January 2019 Revised 24 April 2019 Accepted 24 June 2019 Journal of Engineering, Design and Technology Vol. 18 No. 1, 2020 pp. 122-149 © Emerald Publishing Limited 1726-0531 DOI 10.1108/JEDT-01-2019-0004 The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at: www.emeraldinsight.com/1726-0531.htm