Nigeria, United Kingdom, in “Collabo” to deepen the reform of the contracts

The head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, said that the supply was reformulated not only as a conformity mechanism, but as a basic driver for services, the provision of service and public trust.

Walson-Jack said it when he received Mr. Ben Farrell, CEO of the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (Cips), United Kingdom, Abuja, reporting what both sides described as the beginning of a “strategic collaboration” between Nigeria and the United Kingdom to reconstruct the supply from the inside.

The meeting, which took place in Abuja, was facilitated by Dr. Adebowale Adedokun, general manager of the Bureau of Public Approment (BPP).

The meeting took place at a time when Nigeria was trying to face long -standing inefficiencies in the way he spent public money.

The visit of Mr. Farrell – his first in Nigeria – since he hired the leadership of the CIPs at the end of 2024 – underlined the growing interest of the global institute for emerging markets in which the supply capacity is urgently necessary and critically underdeveloped.

Nigeria, the most populous nation in Africa, assigns billions of Naira every year through supply processes that critics according to critics are often opaque, inconsistent and vulnerable to abuse.

Previous reform efforts had to face institutional inertia, limited application and lack of professionally trained supply agents.

The head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Walson-Jack, was mentioned for having affirmed in a press release of Mrs. Eno Olotu, director, information and public relations, that “the supply is reformulated not only as a mechanism of conformity but as a basic driver, delivery of services and public trust”.

According to reports, he said that according to the strategy and the implementation of the civil service under the country (FCSSIP 2021-2025), the contracts were reformulated both a conformity mechanism and a central performance driver, the provision of services and public trust.

Dr. Adedokun, whose office supervises contracts through ministries, departments and federal agencies (MDA), underlined the times of the visit.

“We are entering a new implementation phase,” he said.

He said: “Our partnership with Cips will help us codify global standards while responding to the unique needs of the Nigeria public service landscape”.

“I spent time in countries that I think are really important for the future of the planet. Nigeria is one of those countries. I wanted to come here to say that we will have an office here. We will work with you. We want to develop capacity in Nigeria,” said Farrell.

Farrell accepted an invitation to speak at the International Civil Service Conference (https://icsc.ohcsf.gov.ng) scheduled for 25-26 June 2025, where the supply will be present for the first time.

As part of the collaboration, Cips will support Nigeria in the development of a national supply strategy focused on professional certification, localized construction of skills and ethical compliance.

The Institute operates in 180 countries and has recommended governments throughout the Gulf, in the South -East Asia and in the United Kingdom.

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