The Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, has given an indication that more Ministries, Departments and Agencies of the State would be approved for integration on the e-procurement platform next year in keeping with the vision of the State Government of operating a 24-hour economy where people could transact businesses with the State Government online at any time from any part of the world through the use of Information Communication Technology.
The Governor stated this today in an address delivered on his behalf by Dr. Rabiu Onaolapo Olowo, the Commissioner for Finance in the State and Chairman, Governing Board of the Lagos State Public Procurement Agency, at the Year 2021 Procurement Summit organised by the Agency with the theme: Procurement of the Future: Lessons from the Pandemic.
Mr. Sanwo-Olu further noted that the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic had confirmed that innovation and technology are issues that organisations that are focused on the future cannot afford to ignore.
Mr. Sanwo-Olu explained that his Administration “places so much emphasis on planning, innovating, strategising and re-strategising to keep pace with new challenges and demands in a rapidly changing environment in which we operate and live”.
He pointed out that this informed the special attention his Administration accords the operation of the public procurement process and the Lagos State Public Procurement Agency which is saddled with the responsibility of regulating public procurement in the State, noting that his Administration recognises “the pivotal role being played by the Agency as an important vehicle of growth and development in the State in line with the T.H.E.M.E.S. Agenda”.
The Governor further noted that the role being played by the Agency in ensuring transparency, accountability, inclusiveness and due process in public procurement is central to the objective of his Administration for ensuring good governance in all ramifications.
Mr. Sanwo-Olu also acknowledged the role being played by the Agency in facilitating the ease of doing business policy of his Administration, adding that “the deployment of e-procurement solution modules by the Agency to the procurement processes of some pilot MDAs before the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic in early Year 2020 proved to be of immense blessings to the State Government” as it enabled the Government to procure materials and services for combating the pandemic and render other services to the people at a period of total lockdown.
Also speaking at the occasion, Mr. Hakeem Muri-Okunola, the Head of Service, Lagos State, expressed satisfaction with the role being played by the Agency in facilitating a meaningful departure from the old ways of conducting Government business and also in the drive towards improving transparency, accountability and ensuring value for money in Government procurement.
The Head of Service, who was represented at the occasion by Mr. Samson Ajibade, the Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Head of Service, also commended the Agency for recognising and rewarding staff “for going the extra mile” in the discharge of their duties.
Mr. Muri-Okunola, therefore, urged other MDAs of the State to emulate the Agency by recognising and rewarding hard work, commitment, loyalty and exemplary performances so as to encourage staff towards improved service delivery to the public.
While welcoming participants to the Summit, the Director-General, Lagos State Public Procurement Agency, Mr. Fatai Idowu Onafowote, noted that for the public procurement system to be operated and managed in a dynamic manner, the environment must be conducive.
The Director-General stressed that it was because the Agency had developed an appropriate framework that made it very easy for the pilot Ministries, Departments and Agencies integrated on the e-procurement platform of the Agency to successfully carry out their procurement processes through the e-procurement platform during the pandemic and lockdown.
Mr. Onafowote stated that the integration of more Ministries, Departments and Agencies of the State on the e-procurement platform had made life much easier and had contributed to the ease of doing business policy of the Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu Administration in the State.
He pointed out that the Summit was organised to share experiences with stakeholders so as to create a better understanding about the public procurement process and make the process more responsive to the dynamics of the operating environment and further entrench the procurement process in the State.
The 8th edition of the Procurement Journal, a publication of the Agency was also unveiled and presented to the public at the occasion.
Oladapo Olatunde
Deputy Director, Public Affairs Lagos State Public Procurement Agency (PPA)
Last modified: July 24, 2023
