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

Abdul-Majeed Mahamadu (Department of Architecture and the Built Environment, Faculty of Environment and Technology, University of the West of England, Bristol, UK)
Patrick Manu (Department of Architecture and the Built Environment, Faculty of Environment and Technology, University of the West of England, Bristol, UK)
Colin Booth (Department of Architecture and the Built Environment, Faculty of Environment and Technology, University of the West of England, Bristol, UK)
Paul Olomolaiye (Department of Architecture and the Built Environment, Faculty of Environment and Technology, University of the West of England, Bristol, UK)
Akinwale Coker (Department of Civil Engineering, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria)
Ahmed Ibrahim (Department of Quantity Surveying, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria)
Jessica Lamond (Department of Architecture and the Built Environment, Faculty of Environment and Technology, University of the West of England, Bristol, UK)

Journal of Engineering, Design and Technology

ISSN: 1726-0531

Article publication date: 5 February 2018

592

Abstract

Purpose

Procurement 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/approach

Based 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.

Findings

Of 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/value

A 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.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

Funding was provided by The Department for International Development (DFID), UK, Urbanisation Research Nigeria.

Citation

Mahamadu, A.-M., Manu, P., Booth, C., Olomolaiye, P., Coker, A., Ibrahim, A. and Lamond, J. (2018), "Infrastructure procurement skills gap amongst procurement personnel in Nigeria’s public sector", Journal of Engineering, Design and Technology, Vol. 16 No. 1, pp. 2-24. https://doi.org/10.1108/JEDT-09-2017-0089

Publisher

:

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2018, Emerald Publishing Limited

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