The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, has announced the establishment of a committee tasked with reviewing the Public Procurement Act 2007 to align with the current economic landscape in Nigeria.
During his inaugural speech, Akume reminisced that the Public Procurement Act 2007 was enacted into law on June 4, 2007, during the tenure of late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.
Akume elaborated, “The act serves as the legal and institutional framework for promoting transparency, accountability, value for money, and efficiency in the procurement of goods, works, and services within the Ministries, Departments, and Agencies.”
He continued, “The Public Procurement Act 2007 birthed the National Council on Public Procurement and the Bureau of Public Procurement, responsible for regulating and overseeing public procurement. It aims to harmonise government policies, set standards, develop the legal framework, and enhance professional capacity for public procurement in Nigeria, as well as related matters.”
“Having implemented the Public Procurement Act for over 15 years, there is a pressing need to review and reinforce its provisions to align with the current economic realities and improve budget implementation and the ease of doing business,” he added.
Regarding the committee’s composition, he appointed the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice as the chairman, with members including the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Director-General of the Bureau of Public Procurement, representative of the World Bank and KPMG Nigeria as technical consultants, and the Permanent Secretary of the Cabinet Affairs Office as member and secretary of the committee.
The committee’s terms of reference include conducting a comprehensive review of the Public Procurement Act 2007 to identify key obstacles hindering compliance with the act.
Additionally, the committee is mandated to propose recommendations that will bolster the act’s provisions to ensure transparency, accountability, value for money, efficiency, and punctual delivery in the procurement of goods, works, and services by ministries, departments, and agencies.
The committee is also tasked with developing a draft amendment bill for consideration by the Federal Executive Council, along with any other assignments directed by the President.
The SGF urged committee members to wholeheartedly fulfill this significant task of reviewing the Public Procurement Act to streamline public procurement processes and enhance the delivery of public goods and services.
Mamman Ahmadu, the Director-General of the Bureau of Public Procurement, speaking on behalf of the committee members, revealed that his agency has already commenced the internal review process and is committed to realizing the committee’s objectives efficiently.
The committee has been given a one-month timeline to complete its assignment.
