Business
BPP Holds Procurement Forum, Marks 10th Anniversary
The Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), Wednesday, announced that the fourth national procurement forum meant to mark the 10th anniversary of the public procurement reform in Nigeria, will hold in ten days, just as new ministers are settling down to work.
Director-General of the bureau, Emeka Ezeh said in Abuja that the forum, which local and international stakeholders have been invited will hold on July 25 and 26, at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja, in what is designed to be a highpoint of the public procurement reform in Nigeria.
The BPP boss recalled that the reform to be declared open by President Goodluck Jonathan began shortly after the dawn of democracy in 1999, through the commissioning of the World Bank and some Nigerian private sector specialists to review the country’s financial and procurement systems.
“The report recommended, inter alia, the systematisation of the nation’s public expenditure system, dovetailing into the Due Process campaigns, the Public Procurement Act, 2007 and eventually the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) as the regulatory body,” he said.
Eze noted that the forum will be a platform to examine the gains from the reform in the first decade of its implementation, and to appreciate the challenges of a public sector reform especially in a developing economy like Nigeria’s.
According to him, the forum proceeds from where last year’s event stopped by harping on the fact that best procurement practices are not only key to the elimination of corruption, but a channel through, which good governance can be achieved.
The premises of this is that membership of the committee of nations is now largely dependent on the extent to which national governments conscientiously expend public funds to ensure economic growth.
“BPP seeks to underscore this determination by holding this forum for the mapping of the essence and practices of good governance, through adherence to ideal procedures in public procurement,” he added.
“In this forum, we are going to look at how the culture of good procurement practices and sanctions against breaches are to be ingrained and implemented, while avenues for circumventions are minimised.