By Yisa Usman MSc, FPP, FCA, FCTI
The administration of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has consistently underscored a commitment to transparency, accountability, and integrity across all sectors of governance. Central to this renewed hope agenda championed by Mr. President is the drive to entrench corrupt-free practices in public procurement, ensuring that resources, particularly those sourced through loans or development partnerships, are judiciously managed for national development.
The Nigeria Procurement Certification Programme (NPCP), administered by the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) with support from the World Bank, has received explicit approval from both the Presidency and the Federal Executive Council (FEC), reflecting Mr. President’s strategic commitment to institutionalizing credible procurement practices. The recent FEC endorsement of additional funding for the Sustainable Procurement, Environmental and Social Standards Enhancement (SPESSE) programme further demonstrates Mr. President’s dedication to strengthening human capital and governance in public sector procurement. Dr. Adebowale A. Adedokun, Director-General of the BPP, has played an invaluable role in steering the operationalisation and reform agenda of these initiatives, ensuring alignment with global best practices and national policy objectives, while Engr. Emeka Ezeh, Chairman of the Independent Procurement Certification Board, provides deep institutional experience and oversight.
The NPCP represents a strategic policy intervention aimed at professionalising public procurement in Nigeria. Designed as a competency-based certification system, the programme establishes a structured pathway for developing procurement officers with the technical expertise, ethical grounding, and leadership capacity required to safeguard public resources and improve service delivery. At its core, the NPCP aligns academic qualifications, professional experience, structured training, and rigorous assessment into a unified national framework in line with the vision of Mr. President for transparent and accountable governance.
The conceptual foundation of the NPCP is closely linked to the SPESSE initiative, a World Bank–supported programme responding to national demand for procurement knowledge. A baseline survey under SPESSE revealed significant demand for structured procurement education among students, job seekers, and professionals across public and private sectors, emphasizing the need for a sustainable, institutionalised capacity-building model rather than ad hoc training. This initiative embodies Mr. President’s directive for systemic capacity development to support Nigeria’s development aspirations.
The programme is organised into four progressive certification tiers, each corresponding to increasing levels of expertise, responsibility, and leadership. Tier One, Procurement Associate, introduces core legal, regulatory, and ethical principles while developing essential soft skills. Tier Two, Procurement Professional, represents independent practice, emphasizing procurement planning, risk management, stakeholder engagement, and accountability. Tier Three, Advanced Procurement Professional, targets senior officers with strategic responsibilities, including leadership, policy implementation, and advisory roles. Tier Four, Fellow Procurement Professional, is reserved for highly experienced practitioners expected to lead procurement institutions, oversee complex portfolios, and drive reforms aligned with national development objectives.
A defining feature of the NPCP is its rigorous, merit-based certification process. Candidates complete a five-module preliminary examination, followed by a mock assessment and further professional training at World Bank–designated Centres of Excellence, including universities such as Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Ahmadu Bello University, the Federal University of Technology Owerri, the University of Agriculture Makurdi, University of Benin, and the University of Lagos. Assessment integrates academic qualifications, professional experience, training performance, and demonstrated competencies to ensure transparency, fairness, and consistency, in accordance with the high standards advocated by Mr. President.
Fully funded under SPESSE and the World Bank framework, the NPCP removes financial barriers to professional development, reinforcing inclusiveness and equity while strengthening public sector capacity at scale. The programme functions both as a professional development mechanism and a regulatory accountability tool, linking certification to ethical conduct, legal compliance, and personal responsibility, thereby reinforcing economy, efficiency, and effectiveness in public procurement which key pillars of Mr. President’s renewed hope agenda.
World Bank officials from Washington DC, alongside other development partners, are due to attend a formal presentation and awards ceremony in Nigeria, further highlighting the international recognition and credibility of the programme. These milestones demonstrate the Tinubu administration’s commitment to global standards, professionalisation, and institutional reform.
Aligned with the renewed hope agenda, credible budgetary administration is paramount. Every procurement initiative, particularly those partially funded through loans or development assistance, must be anchored in sound financial planning, transparent reporting, and rigorous oversight. Capacity building initiatives such as the NPCP and SPESSE provide the framework to support these objectives and strengthen national governance in line with the vision and directives of Mr. President.
The Tinubu administration’s focus on corrupt-free procurement, coupled with strategic investment in capacity building and international partnerships, marks a decisive step towards elevating governance standards in Nigeria. By strengthening the competencies of procurement officers, ensuring transparent budgetary practices, and aligning resource management with the hope agenda, the administration is laying a durable foundation for integrity, accountability, and sustainable development. The leadership of Dr. Adebowale A. Adedokun at BPP ensures that the NPCP remains a cornerstone of procurement reform, transparency, and global best practice in Nigeria, setting a new benchmark for institutional excellence and good governance in line with Mr. President’s strategic vision.
Yisa Usman is a Fellow Procurement Professional (NPCP), Fellow Chartered Accountants (ICAN) and Fellow Chartered Institute of Taxation (CITN).
