The Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply Management of Nigeria (CIPSMN) has strongly criticized what it calls an “illegal partnership” between the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) and a deregistered group, the Procurement Professional Association of Nigeria (PPAN).
In a statement issued on Thursday by Alhaji Sikiru Oladapo Balogun, President of CIPSMN, the institute expressed shock over reports of a joint workshop being organized under the PPAN name in Abuja, scheduled for Saturday, October 18.
According to the statement, the event — described as a “Special Meeting/Workshop” — is being publicized as a collaboration with the BPP, featuring its Director-General, Dr. Adebowale Adedokun, as the keynote speaker.
CIPSMN condemned the development, saying that the event’s poster, which displays BPP’s official logo and the DG’s image, gives legitimacy to an “illegal and non-existent association.”
The Institute reminded the public that PPAN was deregistered by the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) over a decade ago. It cited a CAC letter dated March 11, 2013 (Ref: COM/NSC/01/2013/VOL.1/109), which confirmed that PPAN’s registration violated Section 30(1)(a) of the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA).
CIPSMN further alleged that the BPP boss, Dr. Adedokun, may have orchestrated the collaboration, accusing him of “repeatedly engaging with unrecognized professional groups” in the past.
“This act shows that Dr. Adedokun is deliberately promoting illegality in the procurement sector,” Balogun stated.
Reaffirming its position, CIPSMN emphasized that it remains the only statutory body empowered by law to regulate, train, and certify procurement professionals in Nigeria. The Institute also warned practitioners against falling for “unscrupulous individuals attempting to commercialize professional ethics.”
It urged relevant authorities to investigate the alleged partnership to protect the integrity of Nigeria’s procurement system and uphold public trust.
“The public should not be misled,” the statement added, pledging that the Institute will continue to defend professional standards and maintain transparency in public procurement.