The emergence of COVID-19 has caused a lot of hiccups in many spheres of endeavours, across various sectors of the economy and institutions. The Nigerian Communications Commission is not an exception.
It would be recalled that the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, published a bid solicitation advertisement in the Leadership and the Nation Newspapers of Monday, March 9, 2020, and the Federal Tenders Journal of Monday, March 9 to Sunday, March 22, 2020 edition.
The advertisement was to invite submissions of Expression of Interest, EOI, for the Tier III Data Centre for Local Hosting of the Commission’s Website and Online Applications.
Interested owners of Tier III Data Centre Facilities that were eligible, were required to submit their EOI documents, not later than 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, March 25, 2020, at the Commission’s Head Office in Abuja. This was to be followed by a public bid opening.
The bid submission and opening were, however, suspended by the Commission, through advertisements placed in The Nation and Leadership Newspapers on March 25, 2020, due to the Federal Government’s lockdown measures, to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Commission has, however, noted in a Press Release, recently signed by Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, EVC/CEO of the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC that, it is no longer possible to continue with the National Competitive Bidding procurement procedures for the project, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its attendant restrictions.
The Commission has, therefore, cancelled the EOI submissions and planned public opening in respect of this project.
Eligible Tier III Data Centre Facilities owners that have applied and were preparing for the bid will have to wait for a later time, when the Commission deems it fit to reopen the bid.
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