By Dr. Emmanuel Daudu
The Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply Management of Nigeria (CIPSMN) has issued a strong condemnation of the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply, United Kingdom (CIPS-UK), and the World Bank over the recent launch of the National Procurement Certification Project (NPCP), describing it as a direct violation of Nigerian laws.
The NPCP was officially launched on April 30 by the BPP in collaboration with CIPS-UK and with support from the World Bank. However, CIPSMN claims the initiative undermines its statutory role and contravenes several provisions of the CIPSMN Act No. 21 of 2007, particularly Sections 11, 16, and 20, which vest authority for training, certification, and regulation of procurement professionals solely in the Institute.
According to a statement signed by Prof. M. J. Aliyu, Registrar and CEO of CIPSMN, “The BPP has overstepped its mandate by engaging in training and certification of procurement professionals, a function not assigned to it under the Public Procurement Act (PPA) 2007. This is not only a violation of the law but also a serious affront to professional standards and regulatory sovereignty.”
CIPSMN emphasized that the BPP’s partnership with foreign institutions such as CIPS-UK, under the guise of procurement reform, bypasses Nigerian regulatory frameworks and threatens to erode the authority of indigenous professional bodies. It also criticized what it described as a “pattern of illegality,” pointing to the BPP’s historical disregard for CIPSMN’s statutory mandate and its continued operation without oversight from the National Council on Public Procurement (NCPP), as required by the PPA 2007.
“The BPP has transformed from a regulatory agency to a self-appointed certification body, using foreign organizations to impose external systems on Nigeria. This is akin to professional colonization,” the statement read.
The Institute expressed particular concern over the use of the World Bank’s influence in promoting what it described as an unlawful certification regime, allegedly designed to legitimize foreign qualifications over Nigerian regulatory authority.
CIPSMN likened the current situation to a scenario where other regulatory bodies such as the Medical and Dental Council, COREN, or ICAN are bypassed by external institutions an act it says would not be tolerated in any sovereign jurisdiction.
While acknowledging the BPP’s mandate to enhance public procurement standards and build capacity, the Institute insisted that professional certification must remain within the remit of CIPSMN as established by law.
It warned that it would pursue all legal and institutional avenues to challenge the NPCP initiative and protect its regulatory authority.
“This illegal encroachment on our statutory responsibilities will not stand,” said Prof. Aliyu. “We will defend the integrity of procurement practice in Nigeria against any form of external or internal subversion.”
CIPSMN called for immediate government intervention to halt the NPCP and ensure that all procurement-related capacity-building efforts are aligned with existing legal and professional frameworks.
Africa Security Investigation News 