Capacity Building: NASENI trains procurement officers, others on global best practices

*The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure organises a three-day procurement in-house training for all procurement and other relevant officers to acquaint them with best procurement operations in line with global practices

Alexander Davis | ConsumerConnect

The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) has said the agency is organising a three-day procurement in-house training for all procurement, and other relevant officers in NASENI system-wide to acquaint them with best procurement operations and in line with global practices.

NASENI, in a statement disclosed the training session with the theme: “Building the Best Procurement Operations in NASENI System-Wide”, would hold October 8-10, 2024, at the NASENI Headquarters, in Abuja, FCT.

It also noted the capacity-building session is targeted at building the capacity of procurement officers, and other select staff from Accounts, Audit, legal, Media, Planning and other officers involved in procurement activities in NASENI System-wide.

Mr. Chima Akwaja, Deputy Director Information, who noted this in a statement Monday, October 7, disclosed Mr. Khalil Suleiman Halilu, Executive Vice-Chairman/Chief Executive Officer (EVC/CEO) of NASENI, will deliver the keynote address while Olusegun Omotola, Ag. Director-General/CEO of the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), is expected to declare the in-house training officially open.

The training among other things aims at ensuring that NASENI is doing the right thing and adhering to 2007 Procurement Act, Manual and other vital information that will enable the Agency to continue on the right track and to utilise the right information at every given time, as far as procurement matters are concerned, noted the statement.

Speaking on the upcoming training, Dr. Mohammed A. Mohammed, Director of Procurement in the agency, said that the training is based on NASENI needs and to enable officers meet up with changes in technology and practices which are global phenomenon, especially against the backdrop of on-going transformation in the NASENI system.

Dr. Mohammed was quoted to have stated: “Things are changing, and you need to change with time, technology is changing globally, you need to build your capacity.

“This training is based on NASENI Needs on procurement which is slightly different from other sectors.”

The Director of Procurement said: “Almost 75-80 per cent of NASENI activities is based on science and engineering, our method of procurement, is a little different, from the ministry of works, raw materials, etc.

“Again, you must build your capacity to be able to cope, which is why we are having this training, to build capacity in line with NASENI needs and mandate.”

According to him, building capacity is a continuous exercise and procurement is all about law end to end, adding that the officers working in procurement must be trained from time to time to equip them with new trends.

Mohammed equally submitted that with the Standard Operation Procedure globally and the World Bank new version on procurement, NASENI cannot work differently, it must key into global practices.

He stated that 95 percent of the resource persons for this training are from the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) as NASENI has an agreement with it, to assist in building the capacity of procurement and relevant officers in NASENI system-wide.

On the upcoming in-house procurement training at NASENI, Mr. Adekoya Olatunji, BPP consultant, also said “the In-house training that is coming up in NASENI is very good, it will enable the officers to adhere strictly to procurement Act. What NASENI is doing is very good, so that the officers will do what they need to do very well.”

Highlights on some of the topics of the training include Effective Procurement Practices & PPA, 2007, Procurement Planning, Procurement Record Keeping Procedures, Contract Agreement and Implications amongst others.