Abuja: Dr. Adebowale Adedokun, Director-General of the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), has emphasized the critical role of collaboration between the bureau and the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) in enforcing standards and ensuring accountability in infrastructure development and procurement practices.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Adedokun made this assertion in a statement issued by Zira Nagga, Head of Public Relations at BPP, during a visit by COREN’s leadership to the bureau’s temporary office. He commended engineers for their essential role in nation-building and stressed the joint responsibility of COREN and BPP in maintaining standards and accountability across infrastructure projects.
Adedokun urged engineers to move beyond just contracts and transactions, advocating for their involvement in policy formulation, project conceptualization, and decision-making processes. He highlighted the importance of global thinking, innovation, and technology in engineering practices and expressed the bureau’s commitment to collaborating with COREN to ensure only registered and qualified engineers are involved in public procurement and project execution.
He also called for urgent reforms in capacity building, urging updates to procurement guidelines and engineering practices to meet modern demands. Adedokun appealed to the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) to consider deploying engineering graduates to secondary schools for teaching, emphasizing the importance of targeted mentorship and internships to enhance practical skills and contribute to critical sectors of the economy.
Prof. Sadiq Abubakar, President and Chairman of COREN, expressed appreciation for the bureau’s warm reception and commended BPP’s efforts in enhancing transparency and efficiency in public procurement processes. He praised the quality of work and setup in the bureau’s new temporary office, located at the Bank of Industries building, as a testament to effective operational management.
Abubakar noted that COREN’s mandate extends beyond engineers to technologists, technicians, craftsmen, and artisans. He mentioned ongoing efforts towards a mutual recognition agreement, which is nearing completion, and expressed readiness to share COREN’s database with BPP. He highlighted COREN’s achievements and roles in agencies like the Nigeria Maritime Safety Agency and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, noting strides in achieving global recognition for Nigeria’s engineering profession.
Both parties agreed to establish a team to facilitate strategic discussions for a Memorandum of Understanding.
