KEY POINTS

• The Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) has launched a free online training portal to help small businesses compete for government contracts.
• Minister of State for Industry John Enoh says poor understanding of procurement rules and incomplete documentation have cost businesses contract opportunities.
• The minister said MSMEs took about two years to access approximately ₦75 billion allocated to them from a ₦200 billion government intervention fund because of documentation and compliance challenges.
• The World Bank says the programme should be assessed by whether trained businesses submit better bids, win contracts and create jobs, not just by registrations.
• The government has called on public agencies to publicise contract opportunities, break large contracts into manageable lots and pay contractors promptly.

MAIN STORY

The Federal Government has launched a free online training portal to help micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) understand procurement rules and compete for government contracts, following concerns that documentation errors and limited knowledge of bidding procedures have excluded businesses from public opportunities.

The Minister of State for Industry, Senator John Enoh, disclosed this on Tuesday in Abuja at the unveiling of the MSMEs Public Procurement Training Programme and Digital Learning Portal developed by the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP).

Enoh said many businesses had lost contract opportunities not because they lacked the capacity to deliver products or services, but because they did not understand procurement procedures or submit the required documents.

He said the self-paced portal would train entrepreneurs on bid preparation, compliance and technical requirements, enabling them to participate more effectively in government procurement.

“It will also reduce travel costs and dependence on intermediaries while expanding opportunities for women- and youth-owned businesses and rural entrepreneurs,” he said.

Enoh said MSMEs accounted for about 96 per cent of businesses in Nigeria, 87 per cent of employment and approximately 50 per cent of manufacturing activities. He argued that improving their access to public contracts was important to strengthening small businesses and expanding local economic activity.

He recalled that the Federal Government had provided about ₦200 billion in intervention funds, with approximately ₦75 billion allocated to MSMEs. However, he said it took the businesses about two years to access the funds because of missing documentation and misunderstood requirements.

Enoh expressed hope that the new portal would help address similar barriers in public procurement. He said the initiative also supported the government’s Nigeria First policy by encouraging the purchase of locally produced goods and services, which could support jobs and keep more economic value within the country.

He urged MSMEs to register on the portal and complete the training. He also called on government agencies responsible for awarding contracts to publicise opportunities, divide contracts into manageable lots and ensure contractors receive prompt payment.

Speaking at the event, Nazaneen Ali, Regional Procurement Practice Manager for West and Central Africa at the World Bank, said the programme’s effectiveness should be judged by its impact on businesses rather than the number of people who sign up.

She said monitoring should establish who registers, who completes the training and whether different categories of businesses are reached. The next step, she added, would be to determine whether the training improves bidding and business performance.

“Then look at outcomes: are trained MSMEs submitting more and better bids, winning more contracts, delivering, and growing and creating more jobs over time?” Ali said.

The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Abel Enitan, represented by Permanent Secretary Usman Kalba, also commended the platform. He said retirees could benefit from the initiative by participating in business opportunities, potentially improving their livelihoods and contributing to the economy.

The Director-General of the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Dr Charles Odii, described public procurement as one of the most reliable opportunities available to businesses. He said many nano and micro enterprises still lacked information about entry requirements and bidding procedures.

“This portal is a practical step towards making government a more accessible market, and it aligns with the President’s Nigeria First policy,” Odii said.

He cited an estimate of 39.65 million small and medium businesses in Nigeria and said wider access to government contracts could create significant opportunities for enterprises.

The Special Adviser to the President on MSMEs, Temitola Johnson, said governments needed deliberate policies to include small businesses in economic activity. He also disclosed that the government had secured a fully private-sector fund, with 50 per cent to be dedicated to the MSME training and learning portal.

The BPP developed the initiative with support from the World Bank under the Sustainable Procurement, Environmental and Social Standards Enhancement Project (SPESSE).

THE ISSUES

Government contracts can provide businesses with a source of revenue, but competing for them requires more than having a good product or service. Businesses must understand tender requirements, prepare the correct documents and meet technical and compliance conditions.

The experience cited by Enoh concerning the delay in accessing MSME intervention funds illustrates how administrative requirements can become a barrier even when financial support has been allocated. The training portal is intended to address the knowledge gap, although training alone cannot resolve every obstacle businesses face when seeking public contracts.

The size and structure of procurement opportunities also matter. If contracts are too large for smaller businesses to handle, they may remain inaccessible even to enterprises that understand the bidding process. Enoh’s call for contracts to be divided into manageable lots therefore addresses a separate issue from training: whether smaller firms can realistically compete for the work.

Prompt payment is another important consideration. Businesses awarded contracts may need to pay workers and suppliers and cover operating costs before receiving payment from government agencies. Delays can put pressure on their cash flow and limit their ability to deliver or pursue additional contracts.

The World Bank’s emphasis on outcomes raises a further question: whether the portal will translate knowledge into actual business opportunities. Registrations and completed training modules can show participation, but they do not establish that businesses are winning contracts, receiving payments, expanding operations or creating jobs.

WHAT’S BEING SAID

• John Enoh, Minister of State for Industry: “It will also reduce travel costs and dependence on intermediaries while expanding opportunities for women- and youth-owned businesses and rural entrepreneurs,”
• Nazaneen Ali, World Bank Regional Procurement Practice Manager for West and Central Africa: “Then look at outcomes: are trained MSMEs submitting more and better bids, winning more contracts, delivering, and growing and creating more jobs over time?”
• Charles Odii, Director-General of SMEDAN: “This portal is a practical step towards making government a more accessible market, and it aligns with the President’s Nigeria First policy,”

WHAT’S NEXT

The immediate priority is to get businesses to register, complete the training and apply the knowledge when bidding for government contracts.

The BPP and its partners will also need to assess whether the platform reaches women-owned businesses, youth-led enterprises, rural entrepreneurs and smaller firms that have previously struggled with procurement requirements.

As Ali emphasised, meaningful assessment should examine whether participants submit better bids, secure contracts and grow their businesses. The impact will also depend on how procuring agencies advertise opportunities, structure contracts and meet payment obligations.

BOTTOM LINE

The free procurement portal is designed to help Nigerian small businesses overcome a knowledge barrier that can keep them out of government contracts. Its real value, however, will be determined by whether that training leads to more successful bids, actual contracts, timely payments and sustainable business growth.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)