UN Women, Others Hold Affirmative Procurement Advocacy

THEneed to institutionalise affirmative procurement processes in the private and public sector has been canvassed. Speaking at a forum organised by the United Nations (UN) Women, Procter & Gamble and Afrigrants Resources, in Lagos, Chairperson of Afrigrants and co-organiser, Ms Thelma Ekiyor, said affirmative procurement is the way of making procurement processes more inclusive of not just women, but youths and persons with disability.

“This particular meeting focuses on women because across Nigeria, procurement processes are systemically discriminatory against women.

“You will see that many women don’t bid for big contracts. There are even some sectors that women don’t operate at all not to talk of the operating small numbers. And that has to change because this affects, women’s long term economic empowerment and I think if we are to bringwomenoutof povertyin Nigeria, this is an area we have to focus on,” she stated.