The World Bank has announced a 30-month debarment for two Nigerian companies, Viva Atlantic Limited and Technology House Limited, along with their Managing Director, Mr. Norman Didam, for fraudulent and corrupt practices related to the National Social Safety Nets Project in Nigeria.
In a statement issued on Monday, the World Bank revealed that the two firms and Didam were involved in a range of unethical activities during a procurement process in 2018. These actions, which included misrepresentation of bids, conflicts of interest, and falsification of documents, compromised the integrity of the project aimed at providing targeted financial assistance to Nigeria’s most vulnerable households.
The statement outlined that Viva Atlantic Limited, Technology House Limited, and Mr. Didam were found guilty of receiving confidential tender information from public officials, misrepresenting their experience, submitting fake manufacturer authorization letters, and offering bribes to project officials. These actions violated the World Bank’s anti-corruption framework and undermined the objectives of the National Social Safety Nets Project.
As part of the debarment, the companies and Didam will be excluded from participating in any World Bank-financed projects for the next 30 months. However, they have committed to improving their internal compliance systems and ethics training as part of their settlement agreements with the World Bank.
In recognition of their cooperation during the investigation, the World Bank reduced the debarment period. The parties also agreed to implement enhanced compliance measures, including corporate ethics training, and Didam will undergo individual ethics training.
The World Bank emphasized that this debarment is part of its ongoing commitment to transparency and accountability in all its funded initiatives, reaffirming its zero-tolerance stance on corruption. This sanction could also lead to cross-debarment by other multilateral development banks under the Agreement for Mutual Enforcement of Debarment Decisions.
The sanctions serve as a reminder that the World Bank will take firm action to protect the integrity of projects that are designed to benefit vulnerable populations and promote sustainable development.
