By AbdulRaheem Aodu
Kaduna
Kaduna state Government yesterday signed a memorandum of understanding with Public and Private Development Centre (PPDC) to integrate the Kaduna state contracting platform with the Open Contracting Data Standards (OCDS).
The MOU that was signed by the Director – General of the Kaduna state Public Procurement Authority (PPA), Mr Thomas Gyang and Gift Omoidedia on behalf of PPDC, will further ensure financial transparency and accountability in the activities of the agency.
PPDC Public and Private Development Director and Budeshi Programme Director, Gift Omoidedia said the agreement will enable Kaduna state government display its procurement data transparently in a unique and recognizable way.
“We have study the activities of Kaduna state government, its open budget system, and that was why we want to work with the state. We look to work with the Public Procurement Authority to display procurement data in a way that is unique and recognizable.
“We are excited for signing this MOU with Kaduna state government, we chose Kaduna because the state is willing to be transparent, to be open to the public. The budget is open to the public that is why we want to be involved in the way they disclose procurement,” she said.
Kaduna state government on its part also expressed delight at the opportunity to blaze another trail in transparency and accountability, having set the trail in zero budgeting and treasury single account that has been adopted by the federal government and many state governments.
The state government is happy that PPDC will be working with the Kaduna State Public Procurement Authority (PPA) and offering technical expertise and support to the PPA in achieving this great feat.
Depend less on oil, Osinbajo tells D8 countries
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has tasked D8 countries to depend less on oil as it becomes increasingly less attractive in terms of revenue generation and focus more on diversifying to other sources of revenues.
Osinbajo made this remark in Abuja while declaring open the 6th Meeting of D-8 Ministerial Meeting on Industrial Cooperation.
The D-8, also known as Developing 8, was set up officially on June 15, 1997 with member countries as Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan and Turkey.
The Vice President told the representatives of the countries that Nigeria is committed to working with the various Task Forces of the D-8 Ministerial Meeting on Industrial Cooperation to the targets of the founders of the D8 Organization.
He said the ultimate goal of the D8 countries is to promote industrial development and other economic activities in the global economy using the same platform to fast track the position of member countries.
The Vice President expressed appreciation to the President and people of Turkey for the warm reception accorded President Muhammadu Buhari and his team during the D8 Summit recently held in Turkey. He further described Nigeria’s hosting of the 6th D-8 Ministerial Meeting on Industrial Cooperation as a way of consolidating the gains of the Summit held in Turkey.
Osinbajo attested to the fact that this collaboration and partnership amongst the D8 countries cannot be over emphasised given the enormous opportunity to diversify sources of revenue given the global economic downturn arising from the fall in commodities market.
