Edo State’s E-Procurement System Attracts Global Attention

In July 2021, Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, initiated the state’s digital public procurement system. This innovative approach aimed to foster transparency and accountability in the state’s public procurements and supplier exchange.

The significant progress in e-procurement has drawn interest from various national and sub-national entities looking to enhance their public procurement systems, using Edo State as a reference point. In February 2022, the Nigeria Governors’ Forum dispatched a delegation to Edo to learn from its e-procurement system.

The Gambia Public Procurement Authority also visited Benin City to examine the e-procurement solution currently in use in the state. The two-day event, which commenced on October 19th, 2022, provided the Gambian delegates with comprehensive insights into the state’s e-procurement solution, including aspects such as e-GP Project Management and Governance, e-GP Procurement, e-GP Readiness and Rollout, Procurement Business Processes, Data Readiness, Data Centre, e-GP Interface, Technology Architecture, and more.

Governor Obaseki, represented by Deputy Governor, Rt. Hon. Comrade Philip Shaibu, welcomed the delegates and underscored the importance of human capacity development through technology. He stated that the state government’s e-procurement solution was a result of technology-driven initiatives.

According to Obaseki, “When the current administration came into power, the vehicle of the Government was faulty and could not move, because the engine, which is the civil service, was faulty. We needed to upgrade its performance to be in line with present realities which would enable everyone in the system to move from the analog to digital system of operation.

“Without mincing words, Edo State runs the only paperless Government in Nigeria. I can attend to files even while I am travelling. We do not go on recess as a Government and keep files pending. We have discovered that to fight corruption we have to leverage technology. The tech-driven system has also been implemented in our education system, tax administration and other sectors. Anyone who wants to work with the Edo State Government must be ICT-complaint.”

The Governor encouraged the delegates to remain focused on their progressive drive towards a more efficient system. He said, “It is difficult to get people to buy into some of these reforms, but as you move on, people will understand that the reforms were not carried out to replace them with technology or make them lose their jobs, but to rather enhance productivity, improve efficiency and provide quality service delivery. You are therefore in the right place with the right people who will take you through our e-procurement system. We will be more than happy to also collaborate and have exchange programs with the Gambian Government especially in tourism because Edo is the home of culture and artifacts”

The Managing Director, Edo State Public Procurement Agency, Mr. Henry Imogiemhe Idogun, noted that the visit was an opportunity for both parties to cross-fertilize ideas.

According to Idogun, “Your coming to Edo would be a good learning experience. We are not exactly where we want to be but we have made progress. So I see this as an opportunity for us to cross-sectionalize ideas about what we have done and how we have gotten to where we are. We will share everything with you. Edo is the most hospitable State in Nigeria and we are going to be very generous with information.

“We may not be the richest State in Nigeria but we have been managing our resources prudently and this has made it possible for us to deliver the dividend of good governance to the majority of our people. The Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, with his rich background in investment banking, is always very apt in adopting global best practices that make governance transparent, accountable and provide value for money.”

Idogun emphasized the importance of trust between the government and the governed. He stated that citizens would only be willing to pay their taxes when they see that the public financial space is efficient, transparent, and accountable. This understanding led to the current administration under the leadership of Governor Obaseki to reform the civil service, taxation system, and the procurement space.

Speaking on behalf of the Gambian delegates, Ms. Ndey Anta Taal, Project Manager, Gambia Fiscal Management Development Project (GFMDP), explained that The Gambian Government has embarked on critical reforms, with e-procurement as a core part of the reform process.

The GFMDP, according to Taal, is a $35 million Dollar project funded by the World Bank, aimed at increasing the fiscal space of the country and targeting mainly revenue generation activities which include the adoption of an e-procurement system.

Taal said, “At the moment, Gambia is embarking on critical reforms which involve reforming the procurement system. We are introducing the integrated tax administration system, reforming the public enterprises sector which is targeting state-owned entities; e-procurement is a critical part of the reform process. Before coming on this study tour, we conducted a comprehensive e-readiness assessment which highlighted critical recommendations in terms of the journey for Gambia to move away from the traditional paper-based procurement to an electronic and digital procurement system.”

“The readiness report highlighted selected countries which included two States in Nigeria, for which Edo is one. So the delegation which comprises officials from different key stakeholders were sent to understudy the e-procurement system in Nigeria to ascertain how they embarked on the journey, the opportunities provided and challenges experienced, so that we can learn how to overcome such bottlenecks”, Taal added.

Mr. Solomon Affun, Project Coordinator, States Fiscal, Transparency, Accountability and Sustainability (SFTAS), noted that Edo’s strides in the e-procurement space are commendable.

According to Affun, “We have been here previously, that is, the Nigeria Governors Forum with about 10 States, in February last year, but now, internationally, Edo State is being understudied. Just last month, we had a virtual session with Liberia and Edo was part of that session. That led the Government of Liberia to be able to publish their bids. So I think Edo needs to make some noise about their achievements especially in the e-procurement space”.

“Edo started reforms long before SFTAS, and because of this and the background profile of the Governor, he was chosen to Chair the STFAS committee at the Nigeria Governors’ Forum. This tour is all about Edo’s reforms, how they are implemented and also sustained”, Affun added.

The Project Manager Africa, Open Contracting Partnership, Ms. Andie Okon, guided the delegate through the concept of open contracts and procurement data and its usefulness in carrying out procurement reforms in The Gambia. This, according to her, would enable citizens to know what projects the government is doing per time and aid them in verifying such projects.

The delegates also visited the Ministries of Finance and Health on the second day of the tour, where they learned about reforms in the state’s financial administration and the health sector, which has seen significant interventions through the state’s Primary Health Care program, the Edo Health Insurance Scheme (EdoHIS), and other health improvement initiatives by the state government.

The John Odigie Oyegun Public Service Academy (JOOPSA) was another stop for the delegates. They toured the facilities at the academy and learned about Governor Godwin Obaseki’s capacity-building efforts in the public service, which led to the establishment of the academy.

Following their tour of Edo State, known for its rich culture and history spanning thousands of years, the delegates visited the Benin National Museum, where they enjoyed a rich blend of culture and history through stories told by archaeological artifacts and other pieces of historical relics housed by the museum. They also visited the popular and ancient Igun Street in Benin City, known for bronze-casting.

Through technology, the Edo State Government continues to simplify the business-to-government purchase and sales of supplies, work, and services, through the Internet and other information and networking systems, making the process easy and seamless.