In realization of the indispensability of the Public Procurement Act especially in ensuring prudence in the delivery of public utilities, the University of Lagos Centre of Excellence in Sustainable Procurement, Environmental and Social Standards Enhancement (UNILAG-SPESSCE) on Monday, January 10, 2022, launched a procurement training for selected staff across Lagos State Government employ.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the inaugural training which held at the Human Resources Development Centre (HRDC), the Vice-Chancellor, University of Lagos, Professor Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, FAS, underscored the importance of Public Procurement at every level of public service delivery, a policy which he said has helped government and institutions in ensuring prudent management of scarce resources.
While charging participants to see the one-week training as a call to national duty, Prof. Ogundipe affirmed that capacity building in public procurement remains the surest way in ensuring prudent management of public resources especially as government at all levels devise means of addressing the prevalent financial drought.
In his welcome remarks, the Director, University of Lagos Centre of Excellence in Sustainable Procurement, Environmental and Social Standards Enhancement, Dr. James Akanmu described the UNILAG-SPESSCE as an initiative of the World Bank and the Federal Government through the National Universities Commission.
The centre which was created in 2020, according to Dr. Akanmu focuses on capacity building, cutting edge research, policy development as well as implementation of sustainable procurement, environmental and social standards in line with sustainable development goals (SDGs).
There were remarks and goodwill messages by other stakeholders who participated virtually, they included the Director General, Bureau of Public Procurement, Abuja, Mamman Ahmadu, Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission, Professor Abubakar Rasheed, Director General, Lagos State Public Procurement Agency, Mr. Fatai Onafowote, Public Procurement Scholar and anticorruption champion; Professor Sope Elegbe, Engineer Emeka Ezeh and World Bank Procurement Specialist; Chief Bayo Awosemusi.
They all lent their voices to the need for a more feasible approach to building capacities and facilitating systems which would ensure maximum utilization of resources for optimal service delivery.
The stakeholders were unanimous in their commendations for the management of the University of Lagos for successfully hosting the Centre of Excellence in Sustainable Procurement, Environmental and Social Standards Enhancement, a feat which they said will herald a new dawn in public procurement in both the public and private sectors across all southwest states.
