FG launches procurement platform, NOCOPO, trains officers on usage

The Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) in partnership with the European Union has commenced a four-day capacity building workshop in Abuja to educate procurement officers from Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs) on the use of Nigeria Open Contract Portal (NOCOPO) in preparing procurement plans and records.
The online portal was launched in 2016 by the federal government as a sign up for the global Open Government initiative for the promotion of transparency in government procurement process for data gathering and accountability.
The aim is to aid the entrenchment of transparency, accountability and increased citizens’ participation in the country’s procurement process.
“The Bureau, in utilising improvements in modern technology developed NOCOPO portal which would ensure improved transparency, competition and accountability, prevent corruption and enhance active citizen participation in procurement, thereby ensuring better service delivery and improved ease of doing business,” said the Director-General of BPP, Mr. Mamman Ahmadu in his opening remarks yesterday.
During the four-day workshop, the technical session is designed to practically educate participants on all the steps in creating procurement plans and records.
The DG expressed hope that the workshop equips participants drawn from the various institutions with the requisite knowledge and skills on how to prepare and submit procurement plans and records in line with the provisions of the Public Procurement Act, 2007.
The programme coordinator and Director, Regulations, Database and Information Communication Technology at BPP, Dr Aliyu Aliyu acknowledged the need for government agencies to key into the portal with a view to transit from submitting procurement plans through excel sheets to use of modern technology.
According to Aliyu, the days of submitting procurement plans and records through excel sheets are over.
“This portal is the driver of open government partnership, which is a partnership between government and the civil society.”