SPESSE Project Launch

NATIONAL UNIVERSITIES COMMISSION

Sustainable Procurement, Environmental and Social Standards Enhancement (SPESSE) 

Project Launch

The Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN), with support from the World Bank, is implementing the Sustainable Procurement, Environmental and Social Standards Enhancement (SPESSE) Project. The Project objective is to develop sustainable capacity in managing procurement, environmental and social standards in the public and private sectors. SPESSE was conceived, based on the need to bridge the gap between insufficient supply of quality professionals in the procurement, environmental and social sectors and the lack of academic programmes and curriculum in these sectors in the Nigerian education system. The cornerstone of SPESSE implementation is the creation of Centres of Excellence (CE) in Nigerian Universities to deliver a series of capacity building tracks in a sustainable manner in procurement, environmental and social standards. The Project has five implementing agencies (IAs), each with an implementation unit, which is responsible for the day-to-day running of and reporting on the project’s component which applies to it. The IAs are:

1. National Universities Commission,
2. Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning,
3. Bureau of Public Procurement,
4. Federal Ministry of Environment, and
5. Federal Ministry of Women Affairs.

Six federal universities from the six geo-political zones of the country are hosts of the SPESSE Centres of Excellence:

• Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi;
• Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria;
• Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi;
• Federal University of Technology, Owerri;
• University of Benin, Benin City; and
• University of Lagos, Lagos.

The Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, GCON, is expected to formally launch the Project. Also expected at the launch are the Honourable Ministers of Education, Finance, Environment and Women Affairs; Director General, Bureau of Public Procurement, representatives of the World Bank and other development partners, organised private sector, the academia, and other stakeholders.

The formal launching of the SPESSE Project is scheduled as follows:

Date:            28th October, 2021

Venue:         Idris Abdulkadir Auditorium, National Universities Commission, Abuja

Time:            10:00 am

This event is strictly by invitation and COVID-19 protocols would be observed. Guests not invited can participate remotely via the Zoom link provided below:

https://bit.ly/spesselaunch

The SPESSE social media handles are as follows:

Facebook, LinkedIn, Youtube

Thank you.

Signed

Professor Abubakar Adamu Rasheed, mni, MFR, FNAL

Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission