The sanction relates to the Ibadan Urban Flood Management Project and Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project.
The Ibadan project sought to strengthen Oyo State’s capacity to manage flood risks, while the erosion and watershed programme aimed to reduce communities’ vulnerability to soil erosion.
Idmon Engineering participated in four tenders under the flood-management project and one tender under the erosion programme between 2017 and 2021.
The company submitted 12 bids, including six through a joint venture with a sister company.
The World Bank Group said Idmon Engineering provided false information about average annual turnover, historical financial performance and the qualifications of key personnel.
The company also allegedly submitted forged documents to satisfy tender requirements and misrepresented previous experience in two bids under one flood-management tender.
The conduct constituted fraudulent practices under World Bank Group procurement guidelines.
The debarment makes Idmon Engineering and any affiliates under the company’s control ineligible to participate in World Bank Group-financed projects and operations for the duration of the sanction.
Idmon Engineering admitted responsibility for the misconduct under a settlement agreement.
The 48-month period was reduced because of the admission, cooperation with investigators, voluntary corrective measures and the company’s decision not to bid for financed contracts during settlement negotiations.
Idmon Engineering must develop, adopt and implement integrity-compliance measures before being released from debarment.
The measures must reflect World Bank Group standards intended to prevent fraud, corruption and other misconduct in financed operations.
The company must also continue cooperating fully with the World Bank Group Integrity Vice-Presidency.
The sanction qualifies for enforcement by other multilateral development banks under the 2010 Agreement for Mutual Enforcement of Debarment Decisions.
This means Idmon Engineering could also be excluded from projects financed by participating development institutions during the sanction period.
–WorldBank/ChannelAfrica–
