The Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) has recorded improvements in the implementation of public procurement and public funds expenditure for procurement officers.
Speaking on Monday at the three-day conversion course for procurement officers in Lagos, BPP Director-General, Mamman Ahmadu, said this year’s training programme for officers converting to the procurement cadre in the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) will institutionalize procurement reform in the Federal Civil Service.
According to him, the programme was designed to develop capacity for Procurement Officers in the MDAs, entrench professionalism and ensure that public procurement decisions by procurement experts are in line with strict provisions of the Public Procurement Act, 2007, (PPA).
This conversion training is one in the series of capacity development and training programmes organised by the BPP on a yearly basis to ensure that the public procurement system fulfills its purpose in a way that the Federal Government ensures the right allocation or use of resources, which is why the BPP is busy strengthening the Public Procurement Reform through continuous training.
Ahmadu, who was represented by Director Energy Infrastructure, Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), Engr. Babatunde Kuye, said some of the improvements in the Public Procurement and expenditure of public funds, is that Due Process as listed in the Public Procurement Act, 2007 is now followed in the award of contracts.
“You will recall that the nine essential steps of public procurement start with efficient procurement plan driven by needs assessment. Then, there has to be Adequate Appropriation, followed by Advertisement, and Transparent Pre-qualification. Bid Submission and Bid Opening Process followed by Bid Evaluation process have to take place as well. Afterwards we have Tender Board or Federal Executive Council (FEC) Approval, and then Contract Execution. This is becoming entrenched in the Public Service as good credit for the reform,” he said.
He disclosed that only certified Procurement Officers will be allowed to be posted as Procurement Officers. “The Head of Procurement Department or Unit as you are aware reports directly to the Accounting Officer of their respective MDAs and no one else, but where there are no certified Procurement Officers as yet, the schedule officer in charge will have to take responsibility in the meantime and should report to the Accounting Officer as appropriate. We need to begin to get things right as it can no longer be business as usual,” he disclosed.
