BPP, NBA inaugurate joint committee on procurement reforms
BPP, NBA inaugurate joint committee on procurement reforms
The Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) and the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) have inaugurated a Joint Committee on Procurement Reforms, to embedding legal expertise into Nigeria’s public procurement system.
This is contained in a statement issued by Zira Nagga, BPP’s Head of Media and Public Relations in Abuja on Wednesday.
Nagga said the committee was inaugurated at the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two institutions at the BPP headquarters in Abuja.
He said the partnership was expected to deepen collaboration in public procurement administration, legal practice, capacity building and policy reforms to enhance transparency, accountability and value for money in the management of public funds.
Nagga said a major highlight of the ceremony was the inauguration of the BPP/NBA Joint Committee, which would oversee the implementation of the MoU.
He said the committee was expected to develop training curricula and certification programmes for lawyers and judicial officers on procurement law and practice and advice on legal and policy reforms to strengthen the Public Procurement Act.
Nagga said the committee would also support the review of complex contracts and prosecution of procurement infractions and organise sensitisation programmes for Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), private sector stakeholders and civil society organisations.
He said the partnership came at a time when the BPP was intensifying its oversight of procurement activities across MDAs, including the ongoing second batch of procurement audits.
“By equipping the legal community with procurement expertise, the collaboration aims to reduce litigation risks, improve contract enforcement and ensure public funds deliver maximum value to Nigerians.”
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Nagga, quoted the Director-General of BPP, Dr Adebowale Adedokun, in his address, as said that legal practitioners played a critical role in safeguarding public expenditure and advancing procurement reforms.
Adedokun, said Nigeria had a shortage of lawyers with specialised knowledge of public procurement, resulting in gaps on contract administration, dispute resolution, policy drafting and prosecution of procurement-related offences.
“Nigeria lacks lawyers who are vast and experienced in procurement; hence, we must develop lawyers who understand procurement.
“By building this capacity within the legal profession and the judiciary, we will strengthen the integrity of the procurement process and improve service delivery to citizens,” he said.
Adedokun added that the collaboration would also help produce procurement-savvy judicial officers and law students capable of effectively interpreting and applying the Public Procurement Act.
In his remarks, the President of the NBA, Afam Osigwe (SAN), reaffirmed the association’s commitment to promoting transparency, accountability and professionalism in public procurement.
Osigwe said weaknesses in procurement processes had contributed significantly to abandoned projects and the waste of public resources across the country.
He announced that procurement law and practice would henceforth be taught as a dedicated course at the NBA Institute of Legal Education to ensure newly admitted lawyers acquire adequate knowledge of procurement principles before entering practice.
