The World Bank Group has imposed a 30-month debarment on two Nigerian companies, Viva Atlantic Limited and Technology House Limited, as well as their Managing Director and CEO, Mr. Norman Didam.

This action stems from their involvement in fraudulent, collusive, and corrupt practices related to the National Social Safety Nets Project in Nigeria.

This project, which was intended to provide financial assistance to vulnerable households, was compromised by unethical behavior during a 2018 procurement and contract process.

In its statement, the World Bank explained that the two companies and Mr. Didam “misrepresented a conflict of interest in their bids and received confidential tender information from public officials,” actions which are classified as “fraudulent and collusive practices” under the World Bank’s Anti-corruption Framework.

The statement further noted that “Viva Atlantic Limited and Mr. Didam misrepresented Viva Atlantic Limited’s experience and submitted falsified manufacturer’s authorization letters, as well as offered and provided things of value to project public officials.”

These actions were identified as “fraudulent and corrupt practices” respectively, and they undermined the integrity of the social safety net project meant to assist Nigeria’s most vulnerable populations.

As a result of these violations, the companies and Mr. Didam have been debarred from participating in any World Bank-financed projects for the duration of the 30-month period.

However, the bank reduced the debarment period due to the parties’ “cooperation with the Bank Group’s investigation, voluntary corrective actions, voluntary restraint from participating in Bank Group tenders, and the passage of time.”

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Additionally, as part of their settlement, Mr. Didam and the companies have committed to fulfilling certain conditions.

Mr. Didam is required to complete “individual ethics training,” while the companies must enhance their internal compliance policies and implement “corporate ethics training programmes” in accordance with the bank’s Integrity Compliance Guidelines.

The World Bank also emphasized that the debarment will be enforced across other multilateral development banks, as per the “Agreement for Mutual Enforcement of Debarment Decisions,” signed in 2010.

The bank reiterated that these sanctions reflect its “zero-tolerance approach to corruption” and its ongoing commitment to transparency and accountability in development projects.

To regain eligibility for future World Bank projects, the companies and Mr. Didam must meet all the stipulated conditions during the debarment period.

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