The World Bank has imposed a 30-month debarment on two Nigerian companies, Viva Atlantic Limited and Technology House Limited, along with their CEO, Mr. Norman Didam, due to fraudulent and corrupt practices linked to the National Social Safety Nets Project in Nigeria.
The World Bank revealed on Monday that the project, which aimed to provide financial assistance to vulnerable households, was compromised by unethical actions during a 2018 procurement and contract process.
According to the statement, the companies and Didam were involved in fraudulent activities, including misrepresenting a conflict of interest in their bids, accessing confidential tender information, and falsifying company records. These actions violated the World Bank’s Anti-Corruption Framework.
Viva Atlantic Limited and Didam were also found to have submitted fake authorization letters and offered bribes to project officials, constituting corrupt practices that undermined the integrity of the social safety net initiative.
The debarment prohibits the companies and Didam from participating in World Bank-funded projects for the duration of the period.
In a settlement agreement, the parties acknowledged their wrongdoing and committed to fulfilling specific conditions, such as enhanced compliance measures. Didam is required to complete ethics training, while the companies must strengthen internal integrity policies and implement ethics training programs as per the World Bank’s guidelines.
The World Bank reduced the debarment period due to the parties’ cooperation during the investigation, corrective actions, and voluntary restraint from bidding for contracts. These sanctions will be recognized by other multilateral development banks under an agreement signed in 2010.
The World Bank reiterated its commitment to transparency and accountability, emphasizing that these actions reflect its zero-tolerance policy toward corruption and the importance of adhering to ethical standards in development projects.
