Infrastructure procurement skills gap amongst procurement personnel in Nigeria’s public sector

• Published in: Journal of engineering, design and technology design and technology, 2018-01, Vol.16 (1), p.2-24
• Main Authors: Abdul-Majeed Mahamadu, Manu, Patrick, Booth, Colin, Olomolaiye, Paul, Coker, Akinwale, Ibrahim, Ahmed, Lamond, Jessica
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Architectural engineering; Councils; Decision making; Developing countries; Electronic procurement; Geopolitics; Government procurement; Information technology; Infrastructure; LDCs; Local government; Personnel; Problem solving; Procurement management; Project management; Public sector; Quality management; Safety management; Sanitation; Skills; State government; Sustainable development; Time management
• ISSN: 1726-0531; 1758-8901
• DOI: 10.1108/JEDT-09-2017-0089

PurposeProcurement of public infrastructure that is fit for purpose partly depends on the competencies of procurement personnel. In many developing countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, including Nigeria, there is a deficit in the quantity and quality of infrastructure and their procurement is further riddled with deficiencies in the capacity of public procuring entities. The purpose of this study was to ascertain the critical skills development needs of public personnel involved in the procurement of infrastructure in Nigeria.Design/methodology/approachBased on a quantitative research strategy, this study sought to address the knowledge gap through a survey of public infrastructure procurement personnel (n = 288) in different tiers of government (i.e. state and local government) and geopolitical contexts (north and south) in Nigeria.FindingsOf the 45 procurement skill areas operationalised, there is need for further development in 38 of them including: computing/ICT; problem-solving; communication; decision-making; health and safety management; quality management; relationship management; team building; project monitoring and evaluation; time management and procurement planning.Originality/valueA key implication of this study is for policymakers in state and local government to formulate and implement infrastructure procurement capacity development reforms that address the competency gaps of procurement personnel. Such reforms need to take into account the suitable methods for developing procurement competencies. Additionally, the procurement skill areas operationalised in this capacity assessment study could serve as a useful blueprint for studying capacity deficiencies amongst public infrastructure procurement personnel in other developing countries.