Chris Najomo, the Director General, Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has explained that the future of Nigeria’s aviation sector depends on our ability to implement a procurement system that is efficient, transparent, and aligned with global best practices.
He said that by embracing due process and procurement best practices, Nigeria can fully align with the President’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritizes economic transformation and good governance, and the Minister’s 5-Point Agenda, which emphasizes optimising revenue generation for the Federal.
Government and the BPP guidelines and international procurement standards.
Najomo, who was represented on Thursday in Lagos at a Symposium on Understanding Procurement Process for Optimum Organisational Performance, urged all stakeholders in the aviation sector to remain committed to these principles and work collectively towards a future where procurement serves as a catalyst for growth, innovation, and national progress.
Najomo added that for the roadmap for the sector’s transformation, with optimizing revenue generation to be realized, procurement practices must eliminate waste, curb corruption, and ensure value for money, ultimately leading to increased government revenue and improved service delivery.
“Public procurement is at the core of government efficiency and fiscal responsibility. In the aviation sector, procurement decisions affect airport infrastructure, air navigation services, safety regulations, and operational efficiency. If done right, procurement has the power to attract investment, enhance aviation service delivery, and maximize revenue for the nation.
“To support Mr President’s Renewed Hope Agenda and the Honourable Minister’s 5-Point Agenda, we must embrace a procurement system that reduces financial leakages by enforcing strict compliance with due process.; encourages competition and fair bidding to attract credible investors; ensures cost-effective contracts that maximize public funds for aviation development and strengthens public-private partnerships to drive efficiency and boost revenue generation.
“As a regulatory agency, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) fully aligns with these principles to promote efficiency, prevent financial mismanagement, and ensure compliance with national policies.”, he added.
Also speaking, Rebecca Aghadinazu, director of Corporate services, noted that the symposium was designed to equip staff with the required tools and skills needed to carry out their job effectively and transparently.
“It is worthy of note that the delay in the immediate startup of the procurement process of capital projects in any fiscal year is majorly a result of poor understanding of the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) approved procurement process by various participants in the procurement activities. The Procurement Department under the Directorate of Corporate Services has come under serious criticism due to delay in the procurement process whereas, the user Departments failed to perform their role in the process.
“As we may be aware, this programme is designed to improve the efficiency and transparency of our procurement process. Also, it aims at tackling specific structural and capacity challenges of our procurement process while ensuring proper implementation of the Public Procurement Act, of 2007.
“In addition, there has been situations where the Procurement Department has been blamed for alleged procurement of inferior goods when in reality, the user department certifies the goods procured for the use of the department and not the Procurement Department.”, she added.
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