The Lagos State Public Procurement Agency has appealed to the World Bank for support to further strengthen the Agency for a more effective and efficient delivery of its statutory functions.
The Director-General of the Agency, Mr. Fatai Idowu Onafowote made the appeal recently while receiving members of a six-man delegation of the World Bank led by the Bank’s Procurement Practice Manager, Western and Central African Region, Ms. Nazaneen Ismail Ali, who were on a one-day visit to the Agency in Lagos.
While expressing appreciation to the World Bank for its support to the Agency in the past, Mr. Onafowote stated that the Agency was in need of more support from the Bank in the areas of procurement reforms, modernization of its systems and processes and full roll-out of the e-procurement system in the State.
The Director-General also sought the support of the Bank for the Agency in other areas, including capacity building and development of personnel, affirmative procurement, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and facilitation of exchange programmes for its personnel to enable them to learn from other parts of the world.
Mr. Onafowote explained that with only three pilot Ministries, Departments and Agencies of the State onboarded on the e-procurement platform at inception in 2019, a total of 140 Ministries, Departments and Agencies are already onboarded on the platform while 19 others are also scheduled for onboarding before the end of this year.
He also pointed out that the deployment of technology into the public procurement system of the State has greatly enhanced transparency, efficiency and ease of doing business, thereby making the State a choice destination for investors.
Also speaking at the event, the leader of the World Bank team, Ms. Nazaneen Ismail Ali commended the Agency for its efforts in ensuring the digitalization of its operations, particularly with regards to its commitment to the implementation of the e-procurement system in the State.
Responding to the requests of the Agency for support from the Bank, Ms. Ali implored the Director-General to forward the proposal for the support desired to the Bank through the appropriate channels.
Also speaking at the occasion, another member of the World Bank delegation and a lead Procurement Specialist, Mr. Ishtiak Siddique, stressed the need for the Agency to modernise its laws to ensure that it accommodates recent development, particularly with the financial autonomy recently granted to the Local Government Areas of the country by the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
The members of the six-man World Bank team are Ms. Nazaneen Ismail Ali, Procurement Practice Manager, Western and Central African Region of the Bank! Mr. Ishtiak Sididque, Lead Procurement Specialist; Mr. Daniel Kajang, Senior Procurement Specialist; Ms. Barbara Ziolkowska, Senior Procurement Specialist; Mr. Akeem Bello, Procurement Specialist and Mr. Sunday Osoba, Consultant.
The Directors and Heads of Departments/Units of the Agency were also present at the meeting.
