The director general of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Capt Chris Najomo said transparency, efficiency and accountability in procurement are more critical for achieving optimal performance in the aviation sector.
He stated this in his speech at a one-day symposium on ‘Understanding procurement process for optimum organisational performance’ held in Lagos yesterday.
He said at the heart of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, is the drive to reposition Nigeria for economic prosperity, infrastructural development and good governance.
To achieve the objectives, Najomo said aviation sector plays a pivotal role in achieving them, stressing that the procurement processes must be efficient, transparent and revenue-driven.
He also stated that the 5-point agenda of the minister of aviation and aerospace development, Mr Festus Keyamo, provides a clear roadmap for the sector’s transformation, with optimising revenue generation for the federal government as a major priority.
For the goal to be realised, Najomo said 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,” Najomo said.
He said 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 maximise public funds for aviation development and strengthens public-private partnerships to drive efficiency and boost revenue generation should be embraced.
Beyond compliance with local regulations, the director general said procurement in aviation must also align with global standards set by organisations such as the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), International Air Transport Association (IATA), the World Bank and other international development partners
In her remarks, the NCAA’s director of corporate services, Mrs Rebecca Aghadinazu, explained that the event was designed to improve the efficiency and transparency of the procurement process and tackle specific structural and capacity challenges while ensuring proper implementation of the Public Procurement Act, 2007.
She stated attributed the delay in immediate start of procurement process of capital projects in any fiscal year majorly on poor understanding of the Bureau of Public Procurement- (BPP) approved procurement process by various participants in the procurement activities.
She said the procurement department under the directorate of corporate services “has come under serious criticism due to delay in procurement process whereas the user departments failed to perform their role in the process.”
She also noted that there are 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.
In view of the strategic importance of procurement activities to the NCAA and the need to achieve value for money, Aghadinazu said it became necessary to educate and sensitise directorates/departments and units of their role in the procurement circle in other to achieve optimum result.
“It is important to note that procured goods, works and services form a reasonable portion of expenditure in any organisation and to achieve efficiency, effectiveness and value for money, the entire staff…require acquisition of relevant skills through proper awareness and sensitisation,” she said.
