Institute Presses For National Council On Public Procurement; Meets Senate Committee

By Ayodele Oni

The Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply Management of Nigeria (CIPSMN) has called for the setting up of the National Council On Public Procurement.

Besides, the institute also called on the National Assembly to amend the 2007 Act establishing the institute, to enable it change name.

The President of the Institute, Mr Ado Jibrin made the call when he led a delegation of the institute on a courtesy visit to the chairman of Senate Committee on Public Procurement, Senator Emmanuel Bwacha in Abuja.

He said that the members of the institute were on the visit to discuss areas “That we feel is important for the National Assembly to come together so that we rescue the problems of purchasing in the country.”

Jibrin pointed out that the institute sought an amendment to the 2007 Act to enable it change name from Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply Management of Nigeria to Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply Chain Management.

“We are pleading with them that we will forward a private bill to ensure we have our name changed.”

In his contribution, the Registrar of the Institute, Alhaji Mohammed Aliyu, said the need for a name change has become imperative and in line with global trends.

“The purpose of the visit to the Senate Committee Chairman on Public Procurement is to request for an amendment to Act 14 establishing the Institute in 2007.

“It will make it to tally with what we have done with the National Board For Technical Education (NBTE) that has changed the nomenclature of the course in schools to read Procurement and Supply Chain Management in place of Purchasing and Supply Chain Management.

“Procurement is broader than purchasing hence, the need for the request to the distinguished senators.

“Also, it will interest you to know that a study, report and recommendation issued by the World Bank popularly referred to as Country Procurement Assessment Report (CPAR 2000) listed the most important ingredients of success in a business and good governance during the decade ahead.

“Procurement and supply chain management strategy led the others by a considerable wide margin.

“In this regard, it is worthy of note also that, in all planning being done by private and public today, the procurement and supply chain management forecast serves as the foundation of all such planning

“We can, therefore, categorically say with confidence that the businessman whether in private or public, who does not have some basic knowledge of the rudiments of modern procurement and supply chain management cannot hope to rise far in the business of the modern world of tomorrow.

“The prime reason for procurement and supply chain management taking the center page and assuming a more strategic focus in the scheme of things globally stems from the many pressures placed upon it from the competitive environment.

“In simple terms, it is called “PEST”, Political, Economic, Social and Technological.”