BPP and NBA Sign MoU to Address Nigeria's Procurement Lawyer Shortage
BPP and NBA signed a Memorandum of Understanding Wednesday to tackle Nigeria's shortage of lawyers with procurement expertise, which BPP DG Adebowale Adedokun said causes gaps in contract administration, dispute resolution, policy drafting and prosecution of procurement offenses. The partnership focuses on building capacity within the legal profession to strengthen procurement integrity and improve service delivery to citizens.
A joint committee was inaugurated to oversee MoU implementation, tasked with developing training curricula and certification programs for lawyers and judicial officers on procurement law and practice. The committee will also advise on legal and policy reforms, review complex contracts, prosecute procurement infractions and organize sensitization programs for MDAs, private sector and civil society organizations. This comes as BPP intensifies oversight of procurement activities, including the ongoing second batch of procurement audits across federal institutions.
NBA President Afam Osigwe (SAN) announced that procurement law and practice will henceforth be taught as a dedicated course at the NBA Institute of Legal Education to ensure newly admitted lawyers acquire adequate knowledge before entering practice. He noted weaknesses in procurement processes have significantly contributed to abandoned projects and waste of public resources nationwide.
How might better-trained procurement lawyers impact project completion rates and reduce abandoned infrastructure projects in your state?