While speaking at the graduation ceremony held at the
Center’s Complex at the Gubi Campus of the University on Monday, the SPESSCE
Coordinator at ATBU, Ibrahim Garba, said the programmes were introduced by the
World Bank to reduce the corruption emanating from procurement, train
environmental experts and social standards specialists.
“This training is for a capacity building programme to
address the skills gap in procurement standards, the practice of environmental
and social standards. Throughout the programme we have certified 1500
participants for part A,” he disclosed.
Garba, who is also ATBU Deputy Vice-Chancellor, explained
that the training was a capacity-building programme established to address
skill gaps in procurement standards, the practice of environmental standards
and the application of social standards.
He added, “The training spans through tracks – track A is
run for five days where participants get their certificates, track B is where
participants learn within 80 hours or three to four weeks while we have track D
post-graduate diploma, track E is professional and academic masters.”
He added that the programme is designed to help the people
in the procurement process to be more conversant with the existing law.
“The procurement law holds the chief executive officer
accountable but he doesn’t know the law. Now with this programme, we train
procurement officers while we also organize a master class for chief
executives,” he said.
According to him, all the courses at the Centre are run
based on the License given by the National University Commission after a
thorough investigation of facilities.
While congratulating the graduands, ATBU Vice Chancellor,
Abdulazeez Muhammad, urged them to be good ambassadors of the Centre.
Muhammad said, “You will be our advocates out there and we
believe with you as our Ambassadors we will see a lot of patronage not only in
the social standards but also in the Procurement Standards as well as
environmental standards.
“ATBU is your home and you are welcome anytime and when you
want consultancy you don’t need to go outside. Our center is equipped to carry
out Environmental and Social Impact Assessments of any magnitude. We are
willing and we are ready because we have the capacity.”