The Bureau of Public Procurement has made known that it intends to implement a capacity-building training effort targeted at improving the capabilities of procurement officials employed by government organizations and agencies.
The Punch reported that the Digital Bridge Institute in Oshodi, Lagos, has set aside three weeks for the 2023 Capacity-Building training program.
The Director of Research and Training and Strategic Learning of the Bureau of Public Procurement, Mr. Adebowale Adedokun said, “Ignorance is not an excuse, so this training was primarily organized to ensure that officers who are involved in the day-to-day management of the procurement process are adequately trained and have practical skills to be able to timely and efficiently deliver on the mandate of their respective organizations.”
Due to the ongoing advancement of knowledge and information, Adedokun also stated that “we expect that these officers are properly trained and have been given additional capacity.”
The training, he continued, was special since no one entering the procurement field would automatically presume that they were familiar with the procedures used by the federal and state governments.
He said that because the training is geared towards lower-level employees or those who have just entered the procurement industry, it is referred to as the beginner’s course.
“This training is the first line of capacity building that enables them to see the entire procurement system cycle, how it is organized from the beginning to the end.”
The Director-General of the Bureau of Public Procurement, Mamman Ahmadu, who was represented by the Director of Database and Information Technology of the Bureau of Public Procurement, Aliyu Aliyu, praised all the organizations that allowed their officers to attend this Capacity Development Training in the Procurement Cadre for a well-refined procurement process in his keynote address.
He said, “By adhering to the established procurement processes in your operations, procurement officers have a significant role to play in realizing the President’s aim of combating corruption and strengthening the economy.
“Inclusion, utilizing all skill sets, is one of the President’s goals; being nominated will demand that you meet this Mr. President’s priority. This is a chance to make sure you are keeping up.”
The chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practises Commission, Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye, said that in order for procurement to be efficient and of high quality, participants must make sure that established procurement procedures are followed.
