…says foreign participation in certification programme signals renewed trust

…tasks procurement professionals on integrity, transparency

Vice President Kashim Shettima has said the ongoing reforms of the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu are beginning to restore the confidence of the global community in Nigeria, noting that renewed international trust is reflected in growing foreign participation in professional programmes within the country.

Shettima made the assertion on Thursday at the inaugural Convocation Ceremony of the Nigeria Procurement Certification Programme held at the old Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

According to Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications, Office of the Vice President, Stanley Nkwocha, Shettima was represented at the event by the Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, Senator Ibrahim Hadejia.

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The Vice President said the graduation of the first cohort of certified procurement professionals marked a significant milestone in the implementation of President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, stressing that the participation of professionals from outside Nigeria underscored rising confidence in the credibility of the country’s reform efforts.

He noted that a total of 2,100 procurement professionals from Nigeria and other countries were being celebrated, describing the achievement as evidence that Nigeria was consciously positioning itself as a benchmark for excellence in public procurement on the African continent and beyond.

According to Shettima, procurement, once viewed merely as an administrative necessity and often abused, has now assumed a central role in governance under the present administration.

He said the transformation of public resources into roads, hospitals, schools, security infrastructure and social services depends largely on effective procurement, adding that when procurement fails, development suffers and citizens bear the consequences.

The Vice President emphasised that prudent, transparent and strategic management of public resources is not an afterthought for an ambitious nation like Nigeria but the engine room of development under the Renewed Hope Agenda.

He said the quality of infrastructure, the resilience of the healthcare system, the reach of educational institutions, and the confidence of citizens in government are all shaped by the strength of public procurement practices.

Shettima said the Bureau of Public Procurement occupies a central position in the reform process, with responsibilities extending beyond regulation to the cultivation of a professional, ethical, and competent procurement workforce.

Addressing the graduands, the Vice President described them as pioneers with a special responsibility, urging them to allow integrity, transparency, and patriotism to guide their professional conduct.

He told them that their decisions, though not always attracting headlines, would have a direct impact on the lives of citizens across communities and institutions nationwide.

Shettima congratulated the Bureau of Public Procurement, the leadership of the SPESSE Project, the World Bank, and other development partners, saying the programme would help strengthen institutions, rebuild public trust, and move Nigeria closer to its developmental aspirations.

Earlier, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Procurement, Senator Olajide Ipinsagba, pledged the National Assembly’s support for the sustainability of the Nigeria Procurement Certification Programme, urging the graduands to uphold the highest ethical standards in the discharge of their duties.

He said the programme had laid a solid foundation for a more transparent and progressive public service, positioning procurement as a catalyst for national transformation and development.

In his remarks, the Director General of the Bureau of Public Procurement, Dr Adebowale Adedokun, said the programme was designed to enhance sustainable capacity building and promote a strong procurement culture within Nigeria’s public service.

He disclosed that President Tinubu had approved the full deployment of community-based procurement officers nationwide to align procurement practices with global standards and ensure judicious use of public resources.

Also speaking, National Project Coordinator of the SPESSE Project, Dr Joshua Attah, said the programme marked a historic step towards strengthening accountability in public procurement, adding that Centres of Excellence in Procurement had so far trained over 40,000 candidates through various capacity-building and certification platforms.

World Bank Chief Procurement Officer, Ms Hiba Tahboub, commended the Federal Government for its sustained investment in the procurement function, urging other African countries to emulate Nigeria’s structured approach to professionalising public procurement.