Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt
The Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) has embarked on a two-day sensitisation workshop for stakeholders on the draft review of standard bidding document used in the procurement of goods, works and services.
Speaking at the workshop held in Port Harcourt yesterday, the Director-General of the Bureau of Public Procurement, Mamman Ahmadu, said since the development of the existing standard bidding documents in 2009, a lot has happened in the procurement space both locally and internationally.
Represented by Engr. Eze Obasi, the Director Department of Special Procurement, Ahmedu said the workshop was aimed at creating an opportunity to harvest valuable inputs from all public procurement stakeholders, discuss the key clauses of interests, synergies various perspectives and incorporate them in the documents being reviewed and developed.
He disclosed that the development of new procurement documents and the revision of the existing procurement ones was aimed at addressing the inadequacies observed by Ministries, Departments and Agencies of Government in use of the current documents, which were developed in 2009 and last updated in 2011.
According to the BPP boss, already a draft procurement documents had been produced and shared with relevant procurement stakeholders.
He said while the workshop in Port Harcourt was for stakeholders in the South-south and South-east, the engagement process would also take place in Lagos, Abuja and Kano, in order to receive inputs and reactions from wide range of public procurement’s stakeholders.
“BPP in line with her function stipulated in Section 5(m) of the Public Procurement Act, 2007 is mandated to prepare and update standard bidding and contract documents with the aim of achieving its objectives of transparency, competition, cost effectiveness and professionalism in the public sector procurement system and disposal of public assets in line with international best practice.
“Since the development of the existing standard bidding documents in 2009, a lot has happened in the procurement space both locally and internationally.
“Notably is the global economic meltdown, the global pandemic brought about by Covid-19, rapid advancement in technology, advancement in procurement practice globally, just to mention a few.
“Experiences in using these documents have shown their inadequacies to cater for large, complex and dynamic procurement of goods, services and administration of contracts arising from their use.
“In addition, the use of these documents over the years has thrown up lessons borne out of the challenges encountered by both the public sector and the private sector actors in the conduct of public procurement in the country.
“In the light of the above, the Bureau as the regulator of public procurement in Nigeria, decided to respond to the identified challenges in the use of the procurement documents with a view to bringing them up to date with the current international best practices while ensuring domestic interests are well taken care of for the purpose of national development.”
Speaking to journalists, BPP Director, Database Regulations and ICT, said the Bureau was not reinventing the wheel, but standardising the procurement documents in line with international best practice.
Aliyu also stated that the document would curb the issue of unnecessary arbitration over procurement matters, as witnessed in the past.
