In a significant move to enhance accountability in public procurement, the Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies (MINILS) and the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) have agreed to collaborate on institutional reforms.
The proposed partnership followed a working visit by Comrade Issa Aremu, Director-General of MINILS, to BPP headquarters in Abuja on Monday.
During the meeting, Comrade Aremu congratulated Dr. Adebowale Adedokun, BPP’s newly appointed Director-General, describing his selection as putting a square peg in a square hole. The MINILS chief outlined challenges facing his institute’s procurement processes and sought BPP’s expertise to streamline operations.
“We require a comprehensive audit of our procurement system to identify and rectify gaps,” Aremu stated, accompanied by his Technical Assistant on Procurement, Ibrahim Jimoh.
Dr. Adedokun welcomed the engagement, revealing ongoing reforms in Nigeria’s public procurement framework. He disclosed that the Federal Government had recently introduced updated review thresholds, monetary limits, and stricter timelines to accelerate project execution.
According to him, these changes aim to eliminate bottlenecks while maintaining transparency.
The DG urged MINILS to adopt inclusive procurement practices, emphasising compliance with environmental sustainability standards, gender equity policies, the Disability Protection Act, and the “Nigeria First” initiative. “Public institutions must lead by example in creating equal opportunities for all contractors,” Adedokun stressed.
Both parties resolved to institutionalize due process mechanisms, aligning with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda. The collaboration will focus on capacity building, process audits, and adopting digitization to minimize human interference in procurement.
The meeting concluded with plans for a joint technical committee to develop an implementation roadmap. As MINILS prepares to host a procurement training workshop for its staff next month, observers suggest this cooperation could become a model for inter-agency governance reforms.
The call for partnership followed the issuance of Comrade Issa Aremu’s letter of reappointment as Director-General of the Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies (MINILS), by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu through the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume.
The SGF extended congratulations to Aremu, commending his leadership and expressing confidence in his continued service.
Comrade Issa Aremu, a veteran labour leader and former Vice President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), has been at the helm of MINILS since his initial appointment. His reappointment underscores the federal government’s commitment to sustaining the institute’s role in labour education and policy development.
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