The executive vice chairman of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), Mr. Khalil Halilu has emphasised that achieving the agency’s goals requires a high level of professional expertise and technical proficiency in procurement management.
According to Halilu, this focus on procurement excellence is essential for fulfilling NASENI’s mandate and contributing to the success of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s ‘Renewed Hope’ agenda.
In his address at the opening ceremony of NASENI’s three-day in-house training for procurement officers and staff, which began on Tuesday in Abuja, Halilu reiterated the agency’s ambition to be a leader in all its operations. He stressed that delivering quality services aligned with the agency’s strategic goals hinges on a well-managed procurement system, adhering to the Public Procurement Act of 2007.
Halilu highlighted the significance of the training programme, designed to build the professional capacity of officers involved in procurement processes. He assured that NASENI is fully committed to following the stipulations of the Public Procurement Act. “The importance of this workshop cannot be overstated, especially for newly recruited or redeployed officers. It is crucial that staff are trained and retrained to align with NASENI’s vision and mandate,” he said.
He further urged participants to apply the knowledge gained from the workshop in their daily responsibilities. “It is essential to take this training seriously and learn from the wealth of experience shared by the resource persons, which will ultimately improve service delivery,” Halilu added.
In his keynote address, acting director-general of the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), Olusegun Omotola, represented by the director of training, Dr. Adebowale Adedokun emphasised NASENI’s critical role in national infrastructure development. He noted that building procurement expertise is vital for ensuring transparent and efficient public procurement, which delivers value for money.
Omotola reminded government agencies of their obligation to comply with procurement guidelines set forth by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF). He emphasised that no procurement process can begin without an approved procurement plan, facilitated through the NOCOPO system and managed by trained and certified procurement officers.
A statement from NASENI’s director of information, Mr. Olusegun Ayeoyenikan added that Omotola urged NASENI to maintain the highest levels of accountability, ethics and integrity in the procurement process. He concluded that the training aims to address challenges hindering the effective execution of procurement-related activities and budget implementation.
The training, which attracted participants from across NASENI’s system, is expected to enhance the agency’s procurement operations and ensure compliance with national standards.
