The Lagos State Government has emphasised the importance of the Ease of Doing Business to the present administration as it is embedded under Security and Governance, which is the 6th pillar of the Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu T.H.E.M.E.S. Plus agenda.
Head of Service, Olabode Agoro stated this at the opening ceremony of the 2024 Engagement with the Business Community on Procurement Process organised by the Lagos State Public Procurement Agency with the theme: “Creating A User-Friendly System and A Customer-Friendly Environment.”
Agoro, who was represented by the Secretary, Lagos State Staff Housing Board, Mr. Abdul-Rafiu Fashola, expressed belief that regular engagement between Government Agencies, Service Providers and the customers on Procurement Process will not only facilitate mutual understanding amongst all parties, but also serves as a catalyst for sustainable Ease of Doing Business in Lagos State.
According to him, it is appropriate for the Lagos State Public Procurement Agency to regularly interface and engage with Service Providers, Civil Society Organisations and other categories of stakeholders in a bid to keep them abreast of new development in public procurement policies and processes and as well receive valuable feedbacks from stakeholders.
” I will like to commend the Lagos State Public Procurement Agency for this laudable initiative which is aimed at creating an enabling User- Friendly System, as well as a Customer-Friendly Environment for service providers engaging in business with Lagos State Government.”
In his goodwill message, Chairman House Committee on Procurement in the State House of Assembly, Samuel Apata noted that the House is resolutely committed to ensuring ease of doing business in the State and shall not hesitate to amend any section of the Lagos Public Procurement Agency Law that may require amendment to achieve this objective.
According to him, as elected representatives of the people, Speaker and Members of the Lagos State House of Assembly will continue to be dispassionate in its duties and ensure that only bills that will serve the interest of all stakeholders are passed by the House.
Apata assured the Agency and all its stakeholders that the House will always support any initiative aimed at making the public procurement system of the State more user-friendly and the operating environment more customer-friendly.
“I urge service providers transacting business with the State Government to move with the changing times in the socio-economic environment in which you operate so that the emerging opportunities may not elude you.
Earlier, Director General of the Public Procurement Agency, Fatai Onafowote, explained that in continuation of the Agency’s efforts towards a user-friendly procurement environment, the engagement will focus tech driven topics such as Data Protection, Contractor Registration, Understanding the Bidding Process Using Technology, Understanding Evaluation and Monitoring Process.
Onafowote noted that with 140 Ministries, Departments and Agencies of the State already onboarded on the e-procurement platform, all service providers are expected to build their capacity in Information Communication Technology to be able to continue to do business with the Lagos State Government and its MDAs.
“Today’s event is part of the efforts of the Agency to assist service providers to successfully migrate from the old-fashioned and outdated procurement system to a more efficient and seamless system of public procurement system driven by technology in Lagos State.
“I, therefore, wish to enjoin participants to seize this great opportunity to learn so that you can apply the knowledge gained for the benefit of your organisations.”
