The Acting Chief of Army Staff Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede has sounded a note of warning to the enemies of Nigeria, saying “Make no mistake about our resolve, as we have never been more prepared and committed to defending the constitution and our dear country.”
He stated this at the 2024 Directorate of Procurement Fourth Quarter Seminar with the theme “Adapting to Nigeria’s Economic Fluctuations in Defence Procurement: Options for the Nigerian Army” held at Army War College Nigeria.
General Oluyede was represented by the Chief of the Training Army, Major General Sani Mohammed pledged to ensure that all operational, administrative, and logistics requirements are addressed through extensive needs assessment and efficient use of funds to effectively equip the personnel for improved operational capabilities.
He said since the last procurement seminar, the Nigerian Army has made efforts to evolve its procurement process to streamline the process for optimum efficiency.
“We will also implement an effective monitoring process in our contract management. A committee to review the Nigerian Army Procurement Policy 1999, with due consideration of the provisions of the Public Procurement Act 2007 and other extant Tax Laws is ongoing.”
“Since establishing the Directorate of Procurement in 2015, it has continued to raise the horizon in efficiently carrying out its functions while observing the extant procurement policies and regulations.
“This has resulted in improved equipment holding, timely provisioning of operational and logistics items for all our operations, and the provision of infrastructure to boost Nigerian Army personnel’s welfare and working conditions.”
He appreciated the Director of Procurement and his staff for organising the seminar to share perspectives and create mutual understanding among stakeholders in defence procurement as well as Lithad Consulting Limited for partnering with the Directorate of Procurement in putting the seminar together.
Director of Procurement Army, Major General Adeyinka Adereti said the Procurement Seminar is a routine event organized by the Directorate of Procurement to sensitise stakeholders in the Nigerian Army Procurement System on emerging issues that impact the procurement process.
He acknowledged the important roles played by the Office of the National Security Adviser, the Central Bank of Nigeria, The Presidency Bureau of Public Procurement, the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation, the various banking and insurance institutions as well as our defence contractors, in the procurement of military hardware, logistics items, provision of accommodation and infrastructure for the Nigerian Army.
“Volatile exchange rate, the rising cost of foreign and domestic defence items and stiffened foreign trade regulations, especially about defence procurement are among major areas of concern.
“Some of the policies emerging from the various procurement regulating agencies and institutions in response to Nigeria’s economic fluctuations further exert some strains on defence procurement, hence, this Seminar is designed to enhance participants’ understanding of the essentials of the military procurement process in dynamic regulating policies,” he stated.
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