The Director-General, Lagos State Public Procurement Agency, Mr. Fatai Idowu Onafowote, has pointed out that the Agency has no room for complacency and mediocrity among Procurement Officers in the Public Service of the State.
Mr. Onafowote made this known while speaking at the opening ceremony of a three-day technical capacity-building programme organised by the Agency in collaboration with Danik Ventures for Procurement Officers in the Lagos State Public Service, held at the Green Legacy Resort, Abeokuta, Ogun State.
The Director-General stated that the programme was organised to bridge the observed knowledge gaps, particularly in areas dealing with the principles and technicalities of public procurement in which procurement professionals are supposed to be versed, knowledgeable and up-to-date to boost their capacity for efficient service delivery.
He added that the State Government and members of the public, particularly stakeholders in public procurement, expect so much from procurement professionals in the Public Service of the State, adding that this is the reason why the State Government has continued to invest heavily in the training and retraining of Procurement Officers in the State and also providing them with the equipment they require for the discharge of their duties.
Mr. Onafowote explained that the objectives envisaged by the State Government in its Year 2023 Budget, tagged; “Budget of Continuity”, would be better achieved when Procurement Officers in the various MDAs of the State demonstrate capacity and competence in the discharge of their professional duties.
He, therefore, enjoined Procurement Officers in the State to brace up and rededicate themselves to duty and provide the required support to the State Government to facilitate more effective and efficient service delivery to residents of the State.
The Director-General expressed appreciation to the State Governor, Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, for his unrelenting support of the Agency. He pledged the renewed commitment of the management of the Agency and Procurement Officers in the State towards the successful implementation of the annual budgets of the State.
Some of the participants who spoke at the end of the programme, expressed appreciation to the State Government and the Agency for the opportunity given to them to participate in the programme, noting that the training they received would serve as an impetus for them to be more resourceful, more productive and more professional in the performance of their duties as Procurement Officers in the State
Participants at the three-day capacity building programme were drawn from Ministries, Departments and Agencies of the State as well as from the Unified Local Government Service of the State.