The Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) has sought the partnership of Bureau for Public Procurement (BPP) in infrastructure development, using private sector funding.
Mr Michael Ohiani, Director-General, ICRC, said this in a statement signed by Patrick Ederaro, Acting Head, Media and Publicity, ICRC, on Friday in Abuja.
Ohiani, who led a team of ICRC management staff on a courtesy visit to BPP Director-General, Mr Mamman Ahmadu, said that the function of both organisations was interwoven.
He said it was on this basis that there was need to deepen collaboration between the two organisations.
According to him, the BPP has been an immense contributor to the work of the ICRC over the years.
The ICRC boss said that deeper collaboration would bring about more efficiency in delivering Public Private Partnership Projects.
“Given the strategic position your organisation takes in the Nigerian economy and taking into consideration that we are also a regulator of procurement, we decided to pay a courtesy visit and see how we can collaborate further.
“We want to use the opportunity to appreciate the work you have been doing with your team.
“We want to also appreciate how you have been able to help the country make savings by chopping off excesses in projects.
“We are also here because of the need for the two agencies to have synergy. Yes! We already have existing collaboration but we want to deepen it and tap from our team of experts,” he said.
On his part, Ahmadu said there was need for collaboration between ICRC and the bureau.
“We are doing the same thing except for method and line of funding. If the funding is from public resources, it comes to BPP, if the funding is from the private sector it comes to ICRC.
“The methods of evaluation are different but they are basically the same. We are trying to deliver services through projects to the country,” he said.
The BPP boss recalled that few decades ago, he had come across many laudable projects, some of them being executed by states.
He said that Nigeria needed to begin delivering such projects again, such as the Ajaokuta Steel Company and the Vehicle Assembly Plants.
Ahmadu said that the current problems of Nigeria could not be solved without making reference to history.
”History provides a platform to examine where you are coming from and plan for the future.
“So, we are doing the same thing but there is a lot of space for us to share our experiences and guide ourselves to achieve our goals,” he said.
