The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) on Tuesday urged Chairmen of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEBs) to follow due process in their procurement activities.
Executive Secretary of UBEC, Dr Hamid Bobboyi, said that this would ensure a safeguarded future for the Nigerian child through various educational projects.
The secretary spoke at the ongoing capacity building workshop for executive chairmen and principal officers of SUBEBs in the 36 states and the Fct.
The event was organised by UBEC in collaboration with the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP).
He stressed the importance of procurement in ensuring that schools had the necessary resources to deliver quality education.
According to Bobboyi, the decisions made in procurement directly impact the learning environment of students.
He said that the training is designed to enhance transparency, accountability, and efficiency in procurement processes within basic education.
“The training is a significant step towards familiarising participants with the rudiments of procurements and contemporary practices to enhance transparency, accountability, and efficiency.
“As we all know, procurement is the backbone of any organisation, and in the realm of education, it plays a pivotal role in ensuring that our schools have the necessary resources to deliver quality education.
“The 2007 Procurement Act is a cornerstone of public procurement in Nigeria as it provides a comprehensive framework for conducting public procurement, ensuring fairness, equity, and value for money in all public transactions,” he said.
The secretary maintained that by adhering to the principles and provisions of this Act, there would be significant improvement in the quality of education delivery through optimising the utilisation of public funds.
On his part, Prof. Shehu Adaramaja, Executive Chairman, Kwara SUBEB and Dean, Forum of SUBEB Chairmen in Nigeria, said that the workshop was long-overdue as it aimed at enhancing their efficiency and capacity in managing procurement processes.
Adaramaja said that the training, which is the first of its kind, drew participants from the 36 states and the Fct.
He said that the training would keep the Chairmen abreast with knowledge of procurement and how to ensure due diligence in their procurement activities at the state level.
“We have been informed that for procurement activities anywhere, where the national interest is more than 35 per cent in terms of contribution, the procurement Act of 2007 takes effect.
“And you see that for states, we do most of our activities through capital fund, 50 per cent from the state, 50 percent from the federal.
” So, by that implication, you will see that the contribution of federal is already above 35 per cent, therefore, we need, as SUBEB Chairmen, to be abreast embrace with this procurement Act,” he said.
Director-General, Bureau of Public Procurement, Dr Adedokun Adebowale, in a remark, encouraged agencies of government to comply with the provisions of the Public Procurement Act of 2007.
Adebowale, represented by the Chief Procurement Officer BPP, Mr Abiodun Otunla, said that the basis of the procurement act was to ensure transparency, competitiveness in procurement process.
He appealed to agencies of government to ensure that bids or contractors were selected through open competitive bidding..