Two Nigerian companies, Viva Atlantic Limited and Technology House Limited, have been barred from participating in World Bank-financed projects for the next 30 months due to their involvement in fraudulent and corrupt practices linked to Nigeria’s National Social Safety Nets Project (NSSNP).
In a statement released on Thursday, the World Bank announced that the firms, along with their Managing Director and CEO, Norman Bwuruk Didam, were found guilty of misconduct during the 2018 procurement and contract processes for the NSSNP, a program designed to provide financial support to underprivileged households in Nigeria.
The investigation revealed that the companies had misrepresented a conflict of interest in their bid documents and gained unauthorized access to confidential tender information through public officials. These actions were classified as fraudulent and collusive under the World Bank’s Anticorruption Framework.
Implications of the Debarment
The 30-month debarment means the companies and their CEO are prohibited from bidding for any projects financed by the World Bank Group. Furthermore, under the 2010 Agreement for Mutual Enforcement of Debarment Decisions, the ban could extend to other multilateral development banks, effectively limiting their participation in a wide range of international projects.
In response to the allegations, the companies and Didam acknowledged their involvement and agreed to certain compliance measures to be eligible for reinstatement after the debarment period.
Compliance Requirements and Cooperation
As part of their settlement, the companies and their CEO have pledged to adhere to specific integrity compliance conditions, including the implementation of corporate ethics training and improvements in their internal compliance policies. Didam is also required to complete personal ethics training.
The World Bank noted that the debarment period was reduced due to the companies’ cooperation during the investigation, their voluntary corrective actions, and their self-imposed suspension from participating in future tenders.
The statement further emphasized the commitment of the affected firms to ongoing cooperation with the World Bank’s Integrity Vice Presidency to ensure compliance with ethical business practices moving forward.
