The Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply Management of Nigeria has condemned the plan by the Bureau of Public Procurement to issue practice licences for procurement trainers in the country, describing it as illegal, misleading, and a violation of existing laws.
In a statement on Wednesday, the President of CIPSMN, Sikiru Balogun, said the Bureau lacked the statutory authority to train or license procurement practitioners, insisting that such powers were vested solely in the institute under its Establishment Act 2007.
Balogun said, “The BPP has no legal mandate to license procurement trainers or certify professional practitioners. Any such issuance of licences is null and void, and any entity operating under such unauthorised licence may face legal sanctions.”
He stated that Part 2, Section 5(k) of the Public Procurement Act 2007 only empowered the BPP to organise training for procurement personnel of ministries, departments, and agencies, not to regulate or license professional practice.
He added that the CIPSMN Act conferred on the institute the exclusive authority to regulate and control procurement and supply chain management in Nigeria, set qualification standards, train and certify practitioners, maintain the register of qualified professionals, and discipline erring members.
Balogun stressed, “Any attempt by another agency to assume this exclusive professional mandate amounts to illegal encroachment, undermines the rule of law, and sets a dangerous precedent of institutional overreach.”
The CIPSMN president warned that Nigerians in the public, private, and non-profit sectors should not fall victim to what he called “illegality and deceit” under the guise of reform. He added that the institute would enforce the provisions of Sections 16(4) and 16(5) of its Act, which prescribe fines and imprisonment for individuals or corporate bodies found guilty of practising without proper registration.
He remarked, “BPP is a regulatory body, not a body of knowledge like the CIPSMN and other institutions of higher learning in Nigeria. We urge stakeholders to seek proper guidance from the institute before engaging with any body claiming to certify or license procurement professionals.”
Balogun called on the BPP to respect institutional boundaries and collaborate with relevant professional bodies to strengthen procurement governance in line with the law.
