WorldStage Newsonline– The Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) is set to inaugurate the Nigeria Procurement Certification Programme (NPCP) to standardise and professionalise procurement certification in Nigeria.
Dr Adebowale Adedokun, Director-General(D-G), BPP said on Monday in Abuja that the programme, which was in partnership with the World Bank, would be inaugurated on Wednesday, April 30, in Abuja.
He said the programme would be a benchmark to hold procurement officers accountable and challenge the status quo in the knowledge and practice of public procurement in Nigeria.
Adedokun said the NPCP aligned with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Present Bola Tinubu which emphasizes transparency, accountability and efficiency in governance
“The National Procurement Certification Programme is a landmark initiative that marks a significant milestone in our nation’s procurement reform journey.
“The programme is a major achievement in our efforts towards professionalizing and standardising procurement certification in Nigeria.
“ This is a pioneer programme that will provide a centralized digital platform for training, assessment, and certification of public procurement professionals across the public and the private sector of our great nation.
“This programme is a testament to our commitment towards strengthening institutional capacity and ensuring value for money in public and private spending.
“It also reinforces our dedication to transparency, accountability, and excellence in the utilisation of government resources through the measure of public procurement.”
He noted that the procurement process had witnessed modernisation and transformation over the last 20 years, moving from its traditional approach to implementing sector-based procurement across all sectors.
The D-G said the programme would help build procurement officers who are experts in road construction, ICT-related projects, healthcare, as well as the implementation of the 2025 budget.
He said Nigeria would witness a major transformation in the field of public procurement.
According to him, the programme’s first phase will target Ministries Departments and Agencies(MDAs) with significant projects to help them gain skills and knowledge for faster budget implementation.
The D-G disclosed that 7,000 officers had already enrolled in the first tier of the programme cutting across the public and private sectors.
He said effective from Wednesday, the programme would admit graduates from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Federal University of Technology, Owerri, University of Lagos, Joseph Tarka University Makurdi, University of Benin, and Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi.
According to him all the graduates would be given the first opportunity to undertake the online procurement capacity development programme.
He emphasised that the programme would not affect their daily work schedules as it has been designed to allow them to acquire and practice the knowledge while working.
He noted that the Office of the Head of Service had commenced reviewing appropriate government circulars that would strengthen the programme’s sustainability.
Adedokun said he believed the programme would be used as a tool for foreign direct investment, adding that requests had come in from some countries in sub-Saharan Africa to replicate the programme in their countries.
He thanked the World Bank and the Sustainable Procurement Environment and Social Standards Enhancement Project for their support and collaboration in making the initiative a reality.
