NIPR, BPP Collaborate to Stop Quacks from Bidding for PR, Communication Jobs
The Nigerian Institute of PublicRelations (NIPR) and Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) have agreed to collaborate as regulators to stop quacks from bidding for government contracts, aiming to deepen professionalism as a key component of procurement.
Speaking on Tuesday in Abuja, the Vice President of NIPR, Prof. Emmanuel Dandaura, who led a delegation on a courtesy visit to the BPP said that the activities of quacks and uncertified firms violate the provisions of the Act that established the Institute and constitute threat to the nation's economy.
He stressed that the law establishing NIPR makes it a criminal offence for any individual or organisation who is not certified by the Institute to bid for or handle public relations briefs, urging the BPP to make NIPR certification a mandatory requirement for PR and communication-related jobs.
"We have a number of quacks operating in the communication domain. We see how government agencies advertise communication jobs and such jobs end up in the hands of uncertified firms, which has caused a lot of damage to the system", he noted.
In his remarks, the Director General of BPP, Dr. Adebowale Adedokun said that NIPR is a credible organisation and right partner that BPP will leverage to project the activities of the Bureau to the key stakeholders.
Dr. Adedokun informed that contrary to popular belief that procurement is transactional, it supports good governance, stressing BPP's readiness to work closely with the NIPR to deliver greater value to the nation's procurement space.
He pointed out that under his leadership, procurement will be professionalised and committed to effective collaboration with the NIPR to fight quackery in both professions.
