Abimbola Akosile
1 July 2009
Lagos — The office of the Special Adviser to the President on Relations with Civil Society (OSAP-CSO) has put forward a new proposal to the World Bank. This is to accommodate the Civil Society Community in the assessment of the National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy (NEEDS), which is designed to facilitate economic development of the country.
The Special Adviser to the President on Civil Society Relations (SAP-CSO) Prince Chineme Ume-Ezeoke, dropped the hint at a two day 'Implementation Support Workshop Focusing On Mainstreaming Non-State Actors in World Bank Operations and the 7-Point Agenda', which held in Abuja.
He also disclosed that discussion is at its peak with the procurement unit of the bank to also involve the Civil Society in the monitoring and evaluation of public procurement, according to his media aide, Mr. Chika Izuora.
Ume-Ezeoke, who was optimistic of positive outcome of the discussions, explained that the public procurement deal - when fully adopted - would help to put in place a mechanism for tracking, monitoring and assessment of stakeholders compliance to implementation of public procurement process.
The Special Adviser equally noted that among other things it will support in the building of capacity of CSOs to track and monitor public procurement process of critical stakeholders at the federal level, as well as engage selected pilot states on enactment of the procurement law similar to the federal Procurement Act 2007.
He said the social development unit of the World Bank would help to fasttrack discussion on the CSOs' involvement in the NEEDS assessment.
He stated that the civil society groups to be engaged in the NEEDS projects would be specifically assigned to monitor the projects in six states and at the federal level.
The ultimate goal of all these, he said, is to accommodate the opinion of the poor and other vulnerable groups in both NEEDS and public procurement process; particularly at the level of monitoring and evaluation.
Ume-Ezeoke further disclosed that the office participation at the recently concluded World Bank Spring meeting in Washington opened new window of opportunities for CSOs involvement in public procurement in Nigeria through building their capacity in that regard.
Talks, according to him, are still ongoing in that area and would assist in revolutionising the involvement of CSOs in procurement process at all tiers of government when it is sealed.
The office, he stated, has concluded a strategic action plan that will help in creating the desired synergy between government and the civil society segment.
Ume-Ezeoke said the office is partnering with some CSOs to hold a National Youth unemployment summit, National Peace and Development Conference and a Moral Re-orientation programme for the youths in some Universities.
He commended the World Bank Nigeria Country office and the Directorate of External Relations in Washington headquarters for their support.
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