DEADLINE: 7TH FEBRUARY, 2023
FEDERAL MINISTRY OF INTERIOR
FEDERAL SECRETARIAT COMPLEX, AREA 1, GARKI DISTRICT, FCT ABUJA
REQUEST FOR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST (EOI) FOR THE SELECTION OF LICENSED AGENTS FOR THE PROCESSING OF APPLICANTS RELATED TO THE GRANT OF BUSINESS PERMIT, EXPATRIATE QUOTA, FORMATION OF STATUTORY MARRIAGES, CITIZENSHIP/PRESIDENCY PERMIT AND LICENSING OF PUBLIC PLACES OF WORSHIP
(1) INTRODUCTION
The Ministry of Interior is responsible for formulating and implementing policies and programmes that enhance internal security and public safety. The Ministry creates an enabling environment for foreign investors and ensures citizenship integrity all of which are key pillars in priority policies of the present administration. The Ministry as part of its many responsibilities is responsible for the processing and conveyance of approval for applications of Expatriate Quota, Business Permits, Citizenship, special immigrant Status Temporary Residence, Conduct of Marriages and Licensing of places of worship to conduct statutory’ marriages.
The Ministry has observed that the processes of the Citizenship and Business Department require improvement in order to enhance its overall efficiency and effectiveness. In addition, the Ministry wishes to expedite and fast track applications, curb corrupt practices, ensure accurate documentation and establish a reliable and comprehensive database.
(2) PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Subsequently, the Ministry engaged the services of a qualified Consultant to provide advisory services for the successful implementation of a Policy Review and Improvement in the processes of Application and Permit Issuance. This is intended to streamline the Application process, enthrone transparency, promote compliance with the law and guidelines, while enabling the Ministry meet the goals set for it by the Federal Government of Nigeria. The Ministry seeks to license Agents to facilitate and seek approvals on behalf of their clients for expatriate quota related matters, citizen ship applications, licensing of public places of worship, as well as applications for the formation of statutory marriages. The Agents will be charged with the responsibility of verifying the information provided and ensuring all requirements are satisfied, while ensuring their clients meet the conditions of their permits. They would also have reporting obligations to the Ministry.
(3) INVITATION
Accordingly, the Ministry requires the services of well experienced Individuals, Businesses and Firms to serve as agents for the application process leading to the issuance of various permits before the final stages of approval by the Ministry of Interior.
Therefore, the Ministry of Interior hereby invites reputable applicants with experience and expertise in the provision of various Residency Permits, Business Permits, Expatriate Quotas, Citizenship, Licensing of Public Places of Worship, conduct of Statutory Marriages and Inspectorate Services.
These licensed agents will compile and submit appropriate documents to seek approvals for their clients on matters related to the list of services above. In addition to processing applications, licensed agents will be responsible for the veracity and quality of information provided. Agents will also be charged with monitoring their clients’ usage of these permits, quotas and licenses to ensure they comply with the law, as well as extant rules and regulations.
(4) SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS
Interested applicants must provide information about their qualifications and experience, demonstrating qualification/capacity to provide the services that may be required under each specific area of specialization as indicated above, interested applicants shall have one or more of the following capabilities:
(a) General experience in Legal Practice, Human Resources Management, Business Management, Public Administration, Immigration, and Financial Consultancy (provide details of previous projects handled);
(b) Evidence of working experience as skilled Management Consultants with specific experience in Monitoring and Evaluation;
(c) Relevant experience working as Consultants or Advisers to the Federal Government of Nigeria:
(d) Previous experience in the provision of Agency-Consultancy services on similar projects with verifiable track record of transacting on matters related to expatriate quota administration, citizenship services, statutory’ marriages and/or Licensing is an added advantage.
(5) TASKS AND ASSIGNMENTS OF SELECTED AGENTS
The services to be provided by selected Agents include but not limited to the following:
(a) Evaluation and Verification of submitted applications and supportive documents
(b) Conduct of Due Diligence on Individuals, Organisations
(c) Provide administrative support and training on application procedures to clients
(d) Proper documentation and record keeping of all submitted applications
(e) Liaise with the Ministry of Interior on payments made for services regarding applications, while providing necessary follow’ up on behalf of clients.
(f) Administrative support for the original grant and renewal of business permits, expatriate quota, residency
(g) Administrative support for the original grant and renewal of licences to public places of worship for the conduct of Statutory Marriages
(h) Administrative support for the processing of applications for all types of Citizenship, Special Immigrant Status, Temporary Residence Permits, etc.
(i) Ensure that all applications are processed in line with the existing laws and regulations
(j) Monitoring and Inspectorate services
(k) Ensure all organisations granted Expatriate Quota regularly provide monthly returns to the Ministry of Interior (Mol) and the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS)
(l) Ensure all benefiting organisations regularly update company details, including notification of changes to incorporation documents etc.
(m) Assist the Ministry to achieve the total eradication of fake documentation and other sharp practices that are absolutely antithetical to the prevailing Laws, Rules and guidelines of the Ministry.
(6) CATEGORIES OF APPLICATION
All interested applicants seeking to be considered must satisfy the following requirements under specific category of application
(A) For Business Name: Interested applicants must have a registered business name and must provide information indicating their qualifications to provide the following Services: Licensing of Public Places of Worship for the conduct of Statutory Marriage, Citizenship, Temporary Residence Permits. Special Immigrant Status and Inspectorate Services
Applicants with exceptional ability, verifiable track record, experience and skills may also be considered under this category.
Kindly note that applicants with Business name are only eligible to provide the above-mentioned services.
(B) For Firms: Interested firms must be a Limited Liability Company or Limited Partnership with a minimum share capital of N1,000,000 and must provide information indicating their qualifications to provide the following services: Expatriate Quota, Citizenship and related matters. Business Permit, Licensure of Public Places of Worship. Inspectorate Services and Place of Worship (firms are eligible to provide all Consultancy services).
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
Business Name and Finns should submit the under listed documents in the following order in their Expression of Interest:
(a) Verifiable Evidence of Certificate of Registration issued by Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) including Forms CAC 1.1 or CAC 2 & 7, Form BN 1 in the case of Business Name:
(b) Evidence of Company’s Income Tax Clearance Certificates (or Personal Income Tax Clearance Certificate of all the Partners in case of Business Name) for the last three (3) years (2019, 2020 and 2021) valid till 31st December 2022;
(c) Evidence of Pension Clearance Certificate valid till 31st December 2022 (this requirement is only applicable to bidders whose number of staff is 15 and above);
(d) Evidence of Industrial Training Fund (ITF) Compliance Certificate valid till 31st December, 2022 (this requirement is only applicable to bidders whose number of staff is 5 and above or the bidder’s annual turnover is N50m and above);
(e) Evidence of Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) Compliance Certificate valid till 31st December, 2022;
(f) Evidence of Registration on the National Database of Federal Contractors, Consultants and Service Providers by submission of Interim Registration Report (IRR) expiring on 31st December 2022 or valid Certificate issued by BPP;
(g) Sworn affidavit
-Disclosing whether or not any officer of the relevant committees of the Federal Ministry of Interior or Bureau of Public Procurement is a former or present Director, shareholder or has any pecuniary interest in the bidder and to confirm that all information presented in its bid are true and correct in all material particulars
-That no director has been convicted in any country for any criminal offence relating to fraud impropriety or criminal misrepresentation of falsification of facts relating to any matter
-That the company is not in receivership, the subject of any form or bankruptcy proceedings of the subject of any form of winding up petition or proceeding
-That the company does not have existing loan or financial liability with a bank, other financial institutions of third party that is classified as doubtful, non-performance, bad or whose repayment portion has been outstanding for the last four (4) month;
(h) Company’s Audited Accounts for the last three years (2019, 2020, 2021) duly acknowledged by the Federal (or State) Inland Revenue Service;
(i) Company’s profile with the curriculum Vitae of key staff professional, photocopies of relevant academic and professional qualification with attestation of availability and contact phone numbers;
(j) Specific requirements as specified in paragraph 4 above and as evidenced in Letters of Awards, Valuation Certificates, Job Completion Certificates and Photographs of the projects (list all relevant project references that apply);
(k) Reference Letter from a reputable Commercial Bank Nigeria indicating willingness to provide credit facility for the execution of the project, when needed
(l) All documents for submission must be submitted with a Covering Forwarding letter under the Company’s letterhead paper hearing amongst others, the Registration Number (RC) as issued by the CAC, Contact Address, Telephone Number (preferably GSM No), fax and email address. The letterhead paper must bear the Names and Nationalities of the Directors of the company at the bottom of the page, duly signed by the authorised officer of the firm.
NOTE that all documents/information required must be paginated, submitted in the sequence/order as listed above.
(7) GUIDELINE FOR SUBMISSION OF EXPRESSION OF INTEREST
Interested applicants arc to submit two (2) copies of Expression of Interest (Eol) documents, separated by dividers. The documents should be submitted in a sealed envelope and addressed to the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Interior, Old Secretariat, Area 1 Garki. Abuja.
ATTENTION: DIRECTOR OF PROCUREMENT and clearly marked with the title of the project “SELECTION OF LICENSED AGENTS FOR THE PROCESSING OF APPLICATIONS RELATED TO THE GRANT OF BUSINESS PERMITS, EXPATRIATE QUOTA, FORMATION OF STATUTORY MARRIAGES, CITIZENSHIP-RESIDENCY PERMIT, LICENSING OF PUBLIC PLACES OF WORSHIP AND INSPECTORATE SERVICES’’.
Furthermore, the reverse of each sealed envelope should bear the name and address of the applicant and should be deposited in the Tender Box at the office of Director Procurement, Room 228, First floor, Block “F” Ministry of Interior, Old Secretariat. Area 1 Garki Abuja not later than 12:00 noon Tuesday, 7 February, 2023. Also indicate the category of the application as ‘A’ or ‘B’ accordingly.
(8) OPENING OF EXPRESSION OF INTEREST (Eol)
The Expression of Interest documents will be opened immediately after the deadline for submission at 12:00 noon Tuesday, 7 February, 2023, at Staff Training Hall of the Ministry, in the presence of Observers, Applicants or their representatives. Please ensure that you sign the Eol Submission, Register at the Office of the Director Procurement, Room 228 First floor. Block ‘F’ Ministry of Interior, as the Ministry of Interior will not be held responsible for misplaced or wrongly submitted bids.
(9) IMPORTANT NOTICE
(i) Only competent and reputable applicants with relevant experience and history of quick delivery of project within schedule are expected to apply
(ii) Applicants who have no verifiable evidence of involvement in the implementation of similar projects need not apply
(10) GENERAL INFORMATION
- Submission of EOls shall be in English language and signed by an official authorised by the applicant;
- Only shortlisted applicants will be invited at a later date for collection of Request for Proposal (RfP);
- EOIs submitted after the deadline for submission would be returned unopened;
- The Ministry shall verity any or all the claims made by bidders and shall disqualify any company whose claims are found to be false, in addition to other sanctions that may be deemed necessary;
- All costs incurred in responding to this advertisement shall be borne solely by the bidders;
- This advertisement shall not be construed to be a commitment on the part of the Ministry of Interior nor shall it entitle the applicant to make any claims whatsoever and/or seek any indemnity from Ministry of Interior by virtue of such applicants having responded to this advertisement;
- The Ministry of Interior is not bound to shortlist any applicant and reserves the right to annul the Procurement Process at any time without incurring any liabilities in accordance with Section 28 of the Public Procurement Act, 2007;
- Prospective bidders and interested applicants may obtain further information at the address above between 10:00am to 3:00pm (Mondays Fridays), except public holidays at the Federal Ministry of lnterior, 1st Floor, Room 228, Block F, Old Federal Secretariat, Area 1. Garki, Abuja.
SIGNED:
PERMANENT SECRETARY
FEDERAL MINISTRY OF INTERIOR
