The Director-General, Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), Dr. Adebowale A. Adedokun, MCIPS, ACFE hosted the National Coordinator of Open Government Partnership (OGP) Secretariat, Dr. Gloria K. Ahmed, in his office in Abuja. The courtesy visit highlighted the critical roles of both BPP and OGP in fostering transparency, good governance, and development in Nigeria’s procurement sectors.
Welcoming the National Coordinator and her team, Dr. Adebowale applauded OGP for its significant roles of developing initiatives that promote Open Government and Projecting Nigeria’s Profile among communities of nations.
In her remarks, The National Coordinator, Open Government Partnership, Dr. Gloria K. Ahmed commended the visionary leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR for appointing Dr. Adedokun is the substantive Director-General of BPP, who is capable of piloting the affairs of the Bureau with his wealth of knowledge and experiences.
Dr. Gloria expressed some of OGP programs, which includes developing initiatives that enhance transparency, combating corruption, stakeholders’ and citizen’s engagement, and the use of new technologies to improve governance.
She further addressed some challenges OGP often encounter from its engagement with stakeholders which centers on complaints about the functionality of the Nigeria Open Contracting Portal (NOCOPO), the user interface of the platform and the access to information. She made demands of monthly newsletter page on NOCOPO platform that contains e-Procurement statistics like data, figures, and circulars. Adding that publicity of the information page to the world will proffer tremendous solution. She made known the plans of stakeholders to adopt NOCOPO and suggested incentives for states to adopt and make submissions to NOCOPO.
In responding to that, the Director-General reassures OGP Secretariat that BPP as one of the Steering Committees and, as an Award Winner, will give its maximum participation and full support to OGP activities.
Dr. Adedokun outlined some of the Bureau’s reforms on e-Procurement such as:
a. E- Procurement is part of the Bureau’s mainstream activity and requires all MDAs to key into the NOCOPO platform.
b. Nigeria is one of the leading nations with optimal procurement plan, therefore, all procurement entities should submit its procurement records for the previous two years and the current procurement plans on the Bureau’s NOCOPO platform.
c. It will be treated as a criminal offence for MDAs not to upload its procurement plan.
d. No contract will be awarded if it is not uploaded on the NOCOPO platform.
e. All bidding documents have been revised and electronically available.
The DG made it known that among his initiatives is to make the NOCOPO online standard template for advert placement. Urging the OGP Secretariat to make known their expectations, outputs, and deliverables by conducting an electronic survey for feedback. Reassuring that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) contracts will be put on NOCOPO platforms to enable all partners and citizens to verify and enquire on its implementation.
Signed
Zira Zakka Nagga
Head of Public Relations
BPP
