Tanzania’s National Electronic Public Procurement System (NeST) has won an award for "Best Innovative Public Procurement System Project in Africa" following a rigorous competition during the African Association for Public Administration and Management (AAPAM) meeting, in Kampala Uganda.

The award, which was presented to the Director General of the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA), Mr. Dennis Simba, under the auspices of the African Union (AU) on November 28, 2024, in Kampala, Uganda, was a result of NeST emerging in the top five out of 69 entries.

Speaking to reporters after receiving the award, Mr. Dennis Simba, whose authority manages the system, stated that the award was a significant honour for Tanzania, as public procurement is one of the largest areas of public spending across Africa.

"This is a great honour for us, as we competed against 69 participants, and made it into the top five,” he said, noting that NeST was the  public procurement system in the competition, which marked a major achievement for both Tanzania and system itself.

Mr. Simba went on: "Special recognition must go to the President of the United Republic of Tanzania, Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan, who facilitated the introduction of the Public Procurement Law of 2023 and the development of NeST, which has now been acknowledged as being the best in Africa."

Mr. Simba further stated that, since NeST was solely developed by Tanzanian experts, PPRA was ready to collaborate with other African countries to ensure availability of the technology that contributes to transformative changes in public procurement across the continent.

Meanwhile, Kenya’s healthcare delivery system, won the Overall Award and Uganda was presented with a Special Award as the host the AAPAM Conference, which brought together participants from various African countries.