Ezeh urges Japanese Agency to adopt Nigeria's Public Procurement Procedures

Ezeh, Sanmyo and Ozuruoke at the meeting.
The Director-General of BPP, Engr. Emeka M. Ezeh, OFR, has urged the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to adopt the nation’s procurement procedures in its operation in Nigeria.

Engr. Ezeh made this point at a meeting with a two-man mission from led by Masahito Sanmyo of the Office of New Business Development at JICA Headquarters in Tokyo who visited the Bureau of Public Procurement in Abuja last week (Monday, 21 October 2013) to get acquainted with the nation’s procurement system and procedures. The JICA team included Kingsley Ozuruoke, Administrative and Programme Officer at the JICA Nigeria Office. Supported by BPP’s management team, Engr. Ezeh informed the JICA team that the Public Procurement Act, 2007, under which the Bureau of Public Procurement was established, derives from the global procurement model.

Engr. Ezeh noted that because the Nigerian procurement system is a global model, the World Bank has given approval for it to be used in all its projects. Describing the challenges presented by public procurement in Nigeria, he also explained how the various publications of the Bureau enhance the transparency of the nation’s public procurement processes and procedures as well as increase awareness among stakeholders in public procurement.

The government of Japan, through JICA, is providing assistance to Nigeria in the following areas:

-Technical cooperation, which includes different types of training

-Grants (non-refundable facilities to government ministries and agencies for implementation of programmes in water and sanitation, health, education and other social services).

-Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) loans to government to revamp the power sector, including resuscitation of dams

Mr. Sanmyo assured better understanding of Nigeria’s procurement procedures from the visit would improve the ways in which JICA’s Office of New Business Development undertakes procurement for JICA’s aid programmes in Nigeria.