By Bishop Aturu
The Kogi State Adolescent Girls’ Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) Project has reaffirmed its commitment to transparency, fairness and accountability in its procurement processes, as the bidding exercise for the supply of vocational kits for out-of-school girls in the state reached the public bid-opening stage.
The State Project Coordinator of Kogi AGILE, Alhaji Ahmed Tijani Oricha, made this known during the public opening of bids held at the Kogi State AGILE Project Office in Lokoja.
Oricha emphasised the importance of strict adherence to established procurement procedures, noting that transparent and accountable processes were essential to ensuring that resources committed to the AGILE Project were effectively utilised to achieve the desired impact on beneficiaries.
He said the project complements ongoing efforts by the Kogi State Government to strengthen the education sector and expand learning and empowerment opportunities for girls across the state.
The Coordinator urged participating bidders and observers to closely follow the proceedings and maintain order throughout the exercise, assuring them that the process would be conducted in accordance with applicable procedures and requirements.
Speaking on the procurement process, the Project Procurement Officer, Mr. Muhammad Ibrahim Babaeje, disclosed that five companies purchased the bidding documents, while three successfully submitted their bids before the deadline expired.
He explained that the bidding period commenced on August 3, 2026, and closed at 12:00 noon on September 2, 2026, after which no further bids were accepted.
According to Babaeje, the bid box was inspected by representatives of the participating companies, procurement officials and other observers before it was opened. The inspection confirmed that the box was securely locked and showed no indication of prior tampering.
He added that the three bids received before the deadline were subsequently opened publicly, with the names of the participating companies and their respective bid prices read out and recorded in the official Bid Price Read-Out Sheet.
The Project Procurement Technical Assistant, Mr. Muhammad Goodluck, clarified that the public opening of the bids represented only an initial stage of the procurement process and did not determine the successful bidder.
He explained that the submitted bids would proceed to detailed evaluation in line with applicable procurement procedures and requirements before a decision is reached on the outcome of the exercise.
The Deputy Project Coordinator, Hajia Aminat Suliema, and the Sub-Component Lead for Alternative Education, Hajia Mariam Bello, thanked the participating bidders, observers and project staff for their cooperation and participation in the exercise.
Participants and observers at the event expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the bid opening.
A Civil Society Organisation representative, Mr. Audu Emmanuel, commended the process and encouraged prospective bidders to ensure timely submission of bids in future procurement exercises, stressing the importance of complying with stipulated deadlines.
Similarly, Mr. Joshua Godwin, representing Johnkol Ventures Limited, expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the exercise.
A Procurement Officer from a sister project, Mr. Adeolu Oshadare, also commended the process and wished the Kogi AGILE Project success in the subsequent stages of the procurement exercise.
The public bid opening exercise was subsequently concluded, with the procurement process expected to proceed to the evaluation stage in accordance with approved procurement procedures.
