By Moji Idris
The Federal Government through the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) has unveiled a comprehensive initiative aimed at professionalizing the country’s procurement services for enhanced service delivery.
Briefing stakeholders and the media in Abuja, the newly appointed Director-General/CEO of the Bureau of Public Procurement, Dr. Adebowale Adedokun, at a retreat on the Draft National Procurement Certification Framework (NPPCF) which was organised by the agency in Abuja over the weekend, said:
“Government is saying, go and turn procurement cadre to professional cadre that is globally, internationally competitive.
“The project is divided into two tracks- we have the academic and the professional track. The unique thing is that the two of them are in tandem with each other, they’re working together.
According to him, 6 Universities have since been designated as centres of excellence in procurement for this purpose: Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, (ATBU) Bauchi; Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi; Ahmdu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, Federal University of Technology , Owerri (FUTO) University of Benin (UNIBEN), Benin-City and University of Lagos.
“The 6 universities are training people on the theoretical knowledge which is book work, the professional angle involves taking them to the hands on- how it should be done, when it should be done, the quality required and then the industry component, that is the synergy we are looking forward to.” The DG, said.
Fielding questions at the sideline of the event, he stressed: “In answer to your questions about those who will benefit from the professional training, he said: “The priority is those who have done the academic work, who have graduated from the 6 centres of excellence that is the universities involved. We want to infuse in them the professional skills before we let others join. If you have not done it you wait.”
Adedokun, expressed concern that many of the current experts in the service are either already retiring or close to retirement age hence the urgent need to have ready and qualified pool of officers who will fill the vacancies.
The Director-General explained that the initiative, developed in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Finance and development partners, seeks to enhance the capacity of procurement practitioners nationwide.
“For government to implement its projects and achieve its goals, the critical component that needs to be strengthened is the procurement function,” he stated.
He emphasized that the initiative also involves the private sector, promoting collaboration and knowledge exchange between public and private stakeholders.
Adedokun, also stressed that going forward it is advisable for contractors seeking government contracts to have certified procurement professionals in their employ.
While, according to him, this will not be made mandatory for contractors, it will be an added advantage over their competition as it gives the assurance that the contractor has a proper understanding of the procurement processes.
The BPP DG also disclosed that the pilot phase of the program will be launched in January 2025.
He emphasised that the current search is for Nigeria s who are patriotic and passionate about the national dream and not people who are driven by their personal monetary interests.
“This program is not for people who just want to make money. It’s for those who want to see good roads, 24-hour power supply, and the best for Nigeria,” he said.
The National Project Coordinator, SPESSE of NUC, Dr. Joshua Attah, in his remark described procurement as a big deal, explaining that procurement is an elephant project and that once this is gotten right, the project rating will automatically change in the next three months there with be a sign of change, which will help the country’s budget rating.
He further said that it takes a minimum of 20 years to develop human capacity, adding that other countries are looking up to Nigeria as role model in procurement space.
He said: “We cannot afford to not succeed. The program on procurement is being made to create Job opportunities for the youth to help improve what is being done before as a result of knowledge, help to reduce wastage and to make Nigeria better in capacity building in order clear proof of how people can grow and be what people want to be to match academic with professionalism in Nigeria at the Federal, State and Local Government level.
