Director General of Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), Dr Adebowale Adedokun, has reiterated the commitment of the Bureau to affirmative procurement, which prioritises the inclusion of persons living with disabilities and women in public procurement processes.
Dr Adebowale stated this when the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Disability Matters, Honourable Bashir Daudu, led two others to seek the support of the BPP to onboard persons with disabilities in the ongoing reforms of public procurement by the Bureau.
He told the team from the National Assembly that the BPP had the support of the World Bank through the Sustainable Procurement, Environmental and Social Standards Enhancement [SPESSE] programme to implement the Affirmative Procurement.
The DG, who said that BPP was open to and ready for engagement and collaboration with critical stakeholders, assured the team that the Bureau was ready to strengthen relationships that would assist it in the delivery of its critical reforms, anchored in the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu.
Dr Adedokun said that the BPP was in full support of President Bola Tinubu’s mandate, adding that the Bureau would require the full support of the House of Representatives to enable it provide strategic support for the full realisation of the President’s mandate by leveraging the nation’s public procurement turf.
In response to Hon Dauda’s advocacy for improved Budget, the DG advised the team to engage with the DG of the Budget Office, Minister of Budget and Economic Planning and the Minister of Finance early enough for improved budgetary funding for the National Commission of Persons living with Disabilities.
Hon Daudu had, in his remarks, underscored the imperative of including persons living with disabilities in procurement processes.
He had also appealed for the support of the Bureau to strengthen the nation’s Diasbility Commission.
According to him: “We are looking for accessibility, employment and budget as well as implementation of the disability compliance certification, which by law is a compulsory pre-qualification document for public procurement.”
The disability procurement compliance certification, Hon Daudu said, “is issued by the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities.”
Signed
Zira Zakka Nagga
Head of Public Relations (BPP)
24th July, 2024
