The Bureau of Public Procurement said it’s committed to upholding ethical standards and integrity in public procurement by promoting transparency, accountability, and efficiency for national advancement and transformation.

The Director-General, BPP, Dr Adebowale Adedokun, said this in a statement by the Head of Public Relations at BPP, Zira Nagga, in Abuja on Friday.

According to the statement, Mr Adedokun spoke during a courtesy visit by a delegation from Nigerian Navy Logistics College, Kano.

He emphasised the importance of maintaining the highest ethical standard in procurement processes.

He said that the visit, aimed at collaborating with the bureau for capacity building and training of naval officers on proper procurement processes, was timely.

The DG said that the BPP was ready to work collaboratively with the Nigerian Navy to ensure that the defence sector was properly trained and certified in public procurement.

He stated, “If defence procurement is done rightly, it will maximise opportunity cost, scale of preference and professionalism. If the defence procurement is taken seriously, it will impact greatly on the security of the nation, in the sense that, procured equipment and ammunition will be of higher grade and well managed. Properly trained procurement officers in the military will easily detect inferior equipment when it is being procured and have the capacity to negotiate on quality equipment. There will be a drastic reduction in the current security challenges, and it will also reduce poverty.’’ 

Mr Adedokun suggested various training packages for the college and urged the management to key into the Nigeria Procurement Certification Portal, a centralised digital platform for the training, assessment and certification of procurement professionals.

According to him, the Villa project will be re-visited in the long run, as the Navy is already at the forefront of compliance.

Meanwhile, Commandant, Nigerian Navy Logistics College, Kano, Rear Admiral Emmanuel Anakwe, pledged to collaborate with the BPP on procurement training.

Mr Anakwe said that the initiative would provide officers with the opportunity to become certified in public procurement and empower them to reach their full potential.

He said that the Nigerian Logistics College was established in 2022, primarily for the training of Nigerian Navy Logistics Personnel to enhance their knowledge and skills towards professionalism in military logistics.

He stated, “The bureau’s collaboration with the navy will strengthen and support the navy’s initiative to build capacity for the best procurement practice in the military. Nigerian Navy Logistics College is set to work out modalities and harmonise its training logistics with BPP for effective capacity building. This is to ensure that the procurement cadre in the navy is fully trained and certified.’’

(NAN)