Two Nigerian companies, Viva Atlantic Limited and Technology House Limited, as well as their managing director and chief executive officer, Mr. Norman Didam, have been barred by the World Bank Group for 30 months for engaging in dishonest, collusive, and corrupt activities related to the National Social Safety Nets Project in Nigeria.
The World Bank revealed in a statement on Monday that a number of unethical acts during a 2018 procurement and subsequent contract process jeopardized the project, which was intended to give targeted financial support to impoverished and vulnerable households.
The World Bank Group today announced the 30-month debarment of two Nigerian firms, Viva Atlantic Limited and Technology House Limited, together with their chief executive officer and managing director, Mr. Norman Bwuruk Didam, according to the announcement.
“The debarment relates to corrupt, collusive, and fraudulent practices that were part of Nigeria’s National Social Safety Nets Project.”
According to the bank, Didam, Viva Atlantic Limited, and Technology House Limited obtained private tender information from public authorities and falsely declared a conflict of interest in their bids.
In accordance with its Anti-corruption Framework, it further stated that these acts amounted to collusive and deceptive practices.
The World Bank also reported that Didam and Viva Atlantic Limited submitted phony manufacturer’s authorization letters, lied about the company’s experience records, and offered inducements to project officials—all of which it categorized as corrupt actions.
The bank claims that these infractions compromised the integrity of the social safety net program, which was created to assist Nigeria’s most vulnerable citizens.
“According to the facts of the case and the general principles of the World Bank’s Anticorruption Framework, in connection with a 2018 procurement and subsequent contract, Viva Atlantic Limited, Technology House Limited, and Mr. Didam received confidential tender information from public officials and misrepresented a conflict of interest in their Letter of Bids, which constituted collusive practices and fraudulent practices, respectively,” the statement stated.
Additionally, Viva Atlantic Limited and Mr. Didam filed forged manufacturer’s authorization letters, offered and supplied valuable items to project public officials, and misrepresented Viva Atlantic Limited’s experience. These were, respectively, dishonest and corrupt practices.
For the duration of the debarment, Didam and the two businesses are prohibited from taking part in World Bank-funded operations and projects.
The parties admitted their fault and agreed to fulfill certain requirements, such as improved compliance procedures, as part of their settlement agreements.
In accordance with the bank’s Integrity Compliance Guidelines, the companies must enhance their internal integrity compliance policies and conduct corporate ethics training programs. Didam must also finish individual ethics training.
The bank emphasized that the parties’ cooperation during investigations, voluntary corrective steps, self-imposed limitations on contract bidding, and the amount of time that had passed since the violations were the reasons why shorter debarment terms were given.
The statement further stated that the Agreement for Mutual Enforcement of Debarment Decisions, which was signed in April 2010, permits other multilateral development banks to cross-debar other banks.
Additionally, it said, “The businesses pledge to keep working closely with the Bank Group Integrity Vice Presidency.” Due to the companies’ and Mr. Didam’s cooperation with the Bank Group’s inquiry, voluntary corrective actions, voluntary refraining from participating in Bank Group bids, and the passage of time, the settlement agreements include shorter debarment periods.
The World Bank emphasized that the fines show its zero-tolerance stance to corruption and reaffirmed its commitment to guaranteeing accountability and openness in development initiatives.
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