Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, on Monday, said officials negotiating contracts on behalf of Nigeria lacked the requisite knowledge to represent the country.
He noted that poorly negotiated economic agreements had led to illicit financial flows and losses for many nations.
Speaking at the opening of a two-day physical and virtual capacity building training for Nigerian negotiators organised by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, the Vice President maintained that the quality of the officials who represented the country at negotiations has reflected in the economy of the nation.
Osinbajo also said poorly negotiated agreements and poor monitoring were the most significant causes of financial losses by nations.
He said, “People must be held responsible for poorly negotiated contracts while transparency and due process must be encouraged.”
In his speech, the Chairman of ICPC, Prof Bolaji Owasanoye, while speaking on ‘Guidelines for Negotiating International Agreements for Economic Development,’ said the essence of governance was development.
Also speaking, the Special Assistant to the President on Economic Matters, Dr Yemi Dipeolu, said the nation must develop “a corps of negotiators who could tackle the menace of illicit financial flows.”
The training was organised in conjunction with the Inter-Agency Committee on Stopping Illicit Financial Flows from Nigeria.
Participants include senior and middle-level negotiators drawn from the Ministries, Departments and Agencie who are involved in negotiating trade agreements with foreign nations and companies for Nigeria.
SOURCE : PUNCH NEWS
