The Bureau of Public Procurement has launched free procurement training to help Nigerian small businesses compete for government contracts. The programme, unveiled in Abuja on Tuesday, 27 October, covers identifying opportunities, preparing bids and managing contracts after an award.
BPP Director-General Adebowale Adedokun said the portal was designed to address gaps in procurement knowledge and technical capacity. He identified difficulties understanding bidding requirements among the barriers preventing micro, small and medium enterprises from participating effectively in public contracting.
The platform includes interactive learning modules, quizzes, practical examples and a certificate of completion, according to his remarks reported by the News Agency of Nigeria. It can be accessed through computers, tablets and smartphones, with provision for users operating on limited internet bandwidth.
Adedokun said the training would guide participants through the procurement cycle, including contract delivery and performance management. He stressed that completing the programme would not guarantee a government contract, as awards remained subject to competition, transparency, accountability and value-for-money requirements.
The initiative was developed with World Bank support under the Sustainable Procurement, Environmental and Social Standards Enhancement Project, known as SPESSE. The Bank of Industry and the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria are among the participating institutions.
Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment John Enoh called for simpler procurement procedures and stronger support for small suppliers. Speaking at the launch, he said businesses could miss opportunities because they lacked required documents or struggled to understand how to prepare responsive bids.
TheCable reported Enoh’s warning that limited knowledge increased business costs and dependence on intermediaries. He urged public agencies to improve transparency and asked business associations to publicise opportunities and help members understand the rules.
The minister also called for procurement reform to support women-owned businesses, employment and local production. The BPP said its training placed particular emphasis on women entrepreneurs, young people, persons with disabilities and veterans.
SMEDAN Director-General Charles Odii said the initiative could connect small firms with government procurement as a market. According to The Sun’s account of the launch, he linked the portal to the proposed national MSME policy for 2026 to 2030.
Odii said that policy was awaiting Federal Executive Council approval. His remarks at Tuesday’s launch described a pending policy, rather than an approved framework already being implemented across government.
World Bank Country Director for Nigeria Matthew Verghis said procurement training needed to extend beyond public officials to the businesses expected to supply government. He urged entrepreneurs to use the platform and provide feedback, according to The Sun.
The Nigeria Public Procurement Certification Programme website now provides a separate registration link for MSMEs alongside its professional-certification route. The latter has four progressive professional tiers, from Procurement Associate to Fellow Public Procurement Professional.
The new small-business training is intended to improve readiness to bid; it does not announce that participants have won contracts or received financing. Adedokun said procurement planning, enforceable agreements and effective contract management remained necessary for successful project delivery.
Businesses can follow the Register for MSME link on the programme’s official website to reach the small-business registration portal.
Image: John Enoh, 17 August 2023, by Patiencebako101. Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Archive portrait, not a photograph of the launch.
