About Us

Ensuring Transparency in Public Procurement Section of the ECOWAS

The Public Procurement Act 2013 established the ECOWAS Community Development Programme charged with the responsibility to amongst others, provide Legal and institutional framework and Professional Capacity for public procurement. Some of the sectors that we contract companies for procurements includes

  • Peace & Security.
  • Political Affairs.
  • Infrastructure & Energy.
  • Social Development Affairs.
  • Women, Gender & Development.
  • Tender Verification and Processing.
  • Trade & Industry.
  • Rural Economy & Agriculture.
  • Legal Affairs.
  • Human Resources, Science & Technology.

Objectives of Establishing CDP

  • Harmonize existing government policies and practices on public procurement and ensure probity, accountability and transparency in the procurement process;
  • Establish pricing standards and benchmarks;
  • Ensure the application of fair, competitive, transparent, value-for-money standards and practices for the procurement and disposal of public assets;
  • Attain transparency, competitiveness, cost effectiveness and professionalism in the public sector procurement system. .

Core Functions of the CDP

  • Formulate the general policies and guidelines relating to public sector procurement for the approval of the Council; Publicise and explain the provisions of the procurement act;
  • Subject to thresholds as may be set by the Council, certify Federal procurement prior to the award of contract;
  • Supervise the implementation of established procurement policies;
  • Monitor the prices of tendered items and keep a national database of standard prices;
  • Publish the details of major contracts in the procurement journal;
  • Publish paper and electronic editions of the procurement journal and maintain an archival system for the procurement journal;
  • Maintain a national database of the particulars and classification and categorisation of federal contractors and service providers;
  • Collate and maintain in an archival system, all federal procurement plans and information;
  • Undertake procurement research and surveys;
  • Organise training and development programmes for procurement professionals;
  • Periodically review the socio-economic effect of the policies on procurement and advise the Council accordingly;
  • Prepare and update standard bidding and contract documents;
  • Prevent fraudulent and unfair procurement and where necessary apply administrative sanctions;
  • Review the procurement and award of contract procedures of every entity to which the procurement act applies;
  • Perform procurement audits and submit such report to the general Assembly bi-annually;
  • Introduce, develop, update and maintain related database and technology;