ABUJA – The Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply Management of Nigeria (CIPSMN) has called for proper recognition of procurement and supply chain management as a vital tool for driving national development.
The Registrar/Chief Executive Officer of the institute, Prof. Mohammed Aliyu, made the call on Monday in Abuja, during the 2025 Group B Induction ceremony for new fellows and graduate members.
Aliyu said that procurement and supply chain management were too strategic to be left in the hands of unqualified practitioners.
He criticised perceptions that procurement could be carried out by anyone, stressing that it required certified expertise comparable to accounting, medicine, or law.
He noted that quackery had contributed to project abandonment, corruption, and mismanagement of public resources.
”When we are talking of procurement, we are talking of procurement in terms of value for taxpayers’ money.
“Therefore, it is not a function that anyone can pick from the street. It is only meant for those who have gone through the difficulty of what it takes to practice it,” he said.
The registrar added that unless government and institutions place the right professionals in procurement functions, development would remain frustrating.
He identified challenges in Nigeria to include rising debt, project delays, unemployment, poor infrastructure and corruption as outcomes of neglecting procurement principles and best practices.
He said strict compliance with the Public Procurement Act 2007, the CIPSMN Establishment Act, and Presidential Executive Order 05 of 2018 would help restore accountability and efficiency.
Aliyu also warned members against fraternising with unlicensed associations claiming to represent procurement practitioners, saying only the institute had statutory authority to regulate the profession.
He urged the new inductees to uphold ethics, embrace continuous professional development, and use their expertise to reduce poverty, improve governance and strengthen accountability in both public and private sectors.
CIPSMN President, Alhaji Sikiru Balogun, urged the newly inducted members to uphold professional ethics, stressing that procurement should only be practiced by licensed professionals.
“We don’t want anybody to just come in and say he’s practicing without being licensed.
“They are now licensed and they should know that if there is any infraction, they can be disciplined,” he said.
Balogun however decried attempts by some individuals to sideline the institute in spite of its statutory mandate.
He also identified the use of untrained personnel in procurement processes as a major loophole for corruption in Nigeria.
“Non-professionals are handling this profession in Nigeria today. Section 50 of the Procurement Act says professionals should be developed, not just officers. Until this is enforced, loopholes will remain,” he added.
Similarly, Dr Abdul Mamman, North Central Zonal Coordinator of the institute, said that procurement, when properly managed was central to economic revival and poverty reduction.
Mamman explained that effective planning and spending management within procurement processes would enhance government’s capacity to deliver dividends of democracy and reduce over-dependence on importation.
”The new direction we are bringing in, is basically built around revival of the Nigerian economy.
”And what are we doing? The president, in his awesome characteristics, has been able to identify that one of the ways to divest importation in Nigeria is through Nigeria First policy.
”And when we do that, it means we want to be self-reliant; and we divest to ensure that the local capacity is enhanced,” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that 250 graduate members and 5 fellows were inducted during the ceremony. (NAN)(
