To reposition its procurement department, the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) has unveiled plans to train and strengthen the capacity of the

Procurement officers, and other selected staff from Accounts, Audit, legal units of the agency.

Statement from the agency and signed by Chima Akwaja, Deputy Director, Information of the agency

listed other beneficiaries of the training to include: the Media, Planning and other officers involved in procurement activities in NASENI System-wide.

The statement hinted that the three days in-house training for all procurement and other relevant officers in NASENI system -wide is expected to exposed the elected staff with best procurement operations in line with global practices.

The Executive Vice Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, NASENI, Mr. Khalil Suleiman Halilu according to the statement will deliver the keynote address while Olusegun Omotola Ag. Director General/CEO, Bureau of Public Procurement will declare the in-house training officially open.

The training amongst 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 utilize the right information at every given time, as far as procurement matters are concerned.

Speaking on the upcoming training, the Director of Procurement, Dr. Mohammed A. Mohammed 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.

He said, “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.

“Almost 75-80 per cent of NASENI activities are based on science and engineering. Our method of procurement is a little different from the Ministry of Works, 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.

He also noted 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 per cent 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.

Also speaking, Mr. Adekoya  Olatunji, BPP consultant, said, that up-coming“In-house training 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“, he said

On theme of the training tagged: “Building the Best Procurement Operations in NASENI System-Wide” the statement said the participants will be taught Effective Procurement Practices & PPA 2007, Procurement Planning, Procurement Record Keeping Procedures, Contract Agreement and Implications among others

The statement added that the training will take place at the NASENI Headquarters, beginning from Tuesday 8th to 10th October, 2024.