STATEMENT ON THE PRESIDENTIAL DECISION AND THE WAY FORWARD FOR THE CIPSMN 2026 AMENDMENT BILL
By Comrade Prince Akinola Adams
National Publicity Secretary, CIPSMN
First and foremost, I extend my sincere appreciation to His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, for acting promptly on the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply Management of Nigeria (CIPSMN) Amendment Bill, 2026.
Many bills were before the President for consideration before the CIPSMN Amendment Bill reached his desk. Despite this, he carefully examined the proposed amendments and identified specific areas that, in his assessment, required correction before assent could be granted. This clearly demonstrates diligence, thoroughness, and commitment to legal and constitutional standards.
Let me state this very clearly to members of the public, especially CIPSMN members worldwide:
THE CIPSMN AMENDMENT BILL WAS NOT REJECTED. RATHER, MR. PRESIDENT DIRECTED THAT CERTAIN CLAUSES BE REMOVED OR REVISED AND THAT THE BILL BE RETURNED FOR HIS ASSENT AFTER THE NECESSARY CORRECTIONS HAVE BEEN MADE.
Therefore, anyone claiming otherwise should carefully read the President's letter before drawing conclusions.
BRIEF BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF CIPSMN
To further enlighten the public, CIPSMN is a statutory professional body established under Act No. 21 of 2007, as gazetted by the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Its statutory responsibilities include, among others, the exclusive legal authority to train procurement and supply chain professionals. This encompasses professional education in procurement, warehousing, stores management, inventory control, procurement auditing, stores verification, logistics, and other related disciplines through structured programmes lasting not less than 18 to 24 months, culminating in professional examinations for certification.
In addition, certified members are required to participate in mandatory annual Continuing Professional Development (CPD) programmes to maintain professional competence and uphold ethical standards.
PRESIDENTIAL ACTION ON THE BILLS OF JULY 8, 2026
For proper understanding of the process, on 8 July 2026, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu declined assent to two bills:
The Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply Management of Nigeria (Establishment) Amendment Bill, 2026.
The Raw Materials Research and Development Council (Amendment) Bill, 2026.
In both cases, the President cited legal, structural, and drafting deficiencies, including provisions he considered inconsistent or unclear. Subsequently, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, read the President's letters during plenary on Wednesday, 8 July 2026.
In the letter dated 7 July 2026, relating to the CIPSMN Amendment Bill, the President stated that his decision was made pursuant to Section 58(4) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).
He acknowledged that the proposed amendments were generally commendable but raised objections to specific provisions, particularly Clause 8, which sought to insert Subsections (10)–(15) after Section 11(9) of the Principal Act.
KEY ISSUES IDENTIFIED BY THE PRESIDENT
The President's observations included:
i. Subsection (10): The provision would require incorporated organisations to submit details of their heads of procurement and supply chain within one month, even though the Institute is not the statutory regulator of procurement and may lack authority to compel non-members or independent organisations to provide such information.
ii. Subsection (11): The proposed penalties, including daily fines and interest, could effectively compel organisations to employ only CIPSMN members as heads of procurement, thereby raising concerns about restraint of trade.
iii. Subsection (12): The requirement for organisations to notify the Institute of certain employment decisions could amount to interference with the internal affairs of companies incorporated under CAMA.
iv. Subsection (13): The powers granted to the Institute to institute legal proceedings may extend beyond its statutory enforcement mandate, particularly against non-members.
v. Subsection (14): The proposal authorising the Institute to establish inspection committees to visit incorporated entities may misrepresent the Institute's professional role and exceed its statutory responsibilities.
vi. Subsection (15): The reporting and committee submission provisions require further clarification.
The President concluded by stating that once these identified issues are corrected, the Bill may be retransmitted for presidential assent.
In simple terms, the pathway to assent is clear: amend or remove the identified provisions and resubmit the Bill.
THE COLLECTIVE RESPONSIBILITY AND THE WAY FORWARD
With the progress made so far, members should remain encouraged and focused. The Bill can still become law once the identified issues are addressed and the corrected version is passed by the National Assembly and transmitted back to the President.
To all CIPSMN members and stakeholders, this should be viewed as an opportunity to strengthen the law rather than a setback. No individual or group should be blamed for the President's observations. His decision reflects a commitment to sound legislative drafting, constitutional compliance, and legal certainty.
Members, particularly those in the South and especially the South-West, should intensify advocacy, mobilisation, and constructive engagement to ensure the necessary amendments are concluded without unnecessary delay.
Immediately after the House of Representatives read the President's observations on the CIPSMN Amendment Bill, the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) reportedly approached the National Assembly seeking further amendments to the Act, despite the Act having undergone review in 2023.
While the BPP has the statutory right to seek amendments to the Public Procurement Act, 2007, it should not encroach upon responsibilities that belong exclusively to CIPSMN, such as conducting professional examinations, certifying procurement professionals, conferring honorary fellowships, and establishing professional associations.
Nigerians and members of the National Assembly should closely examine the proposals being advanced by the BPP. We must remain vigilant because some of the current proposals appear to serve narrow institutional interests rather than the broader national interest of promoting professionalism, transparency, value for money, and accountability in public procurement.
The law establishing the Bureau of Public Procurement clearly defines it as the regulator and enforcement authority for public procurement, with responsibilities including oversight of government procurement processes, investigations, complaint resolution, and enforcement.
Conversely, CIPSMN, established under Act No. 21 of 2007, is Nigeria's statutory professional body for procurement and supply chain management. Its core responsibilities include professional education, examinations, certification, professional standards, ethics, and discipline.
These statutory mandates are complementary rather than conflicting.
Although many stakeholders, including members of the National Assembly, have encouraged collaboration between BPP and CIPSMN, efforts by the Institute to engage the Bureau have reportedly not yielded positive results.
There is increasing concern that BPP has continued to undertake activities traditionally reserved for professional bodies, including conducting six-week programmes leading to procurement "professional" certification, conferring honorary fellowships, and posting beneficiaries to procurement units across MDAs.
Such practices raise legitimate concerns regarding institutional overlap and possible conflicts of interest.
Internationally, this model is uncommon.
In Ghana, the Ghana Institute of Procurement and Supply (GIPS) is responsible for professional education, certification, and standards, while the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) regulates procurement processes.
Similarly, in the United Kingdom, the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS) focuses on education, examinations, certification, and professional standards, while procurement regulation remains the responsibility of public regulatory authorities.
Nigeria should adopt a similar collaborative framework in which each institution performs its statutory responsibilities without unnecessary overlap.
CIPSMN believes that meaningful collaboration between the Institute and BPP—based on mutual respect for their respective statutory mandates—would strengthen procurement professionalism, improve governance, and enhance public confidence in Nigeria's procurement system.
At this point, I commend the leadership of CIPSMN at all levels for their resilience, commitment, and determination to ensure that the Institute continues to fulfil its statutory mandate and receives the recognition accorded to similar professional bodies around the world.
CONCLUSION
As a young intellectual and the National Publicity Secretary of CIPSMN, I state with confidence that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, has demonstrated responsibility, diligence, and leadership by identifying the precise provisions requiring correction instead of withholding assent without guidance.
His observations provide a clear roadmap for improving the Bill and ensuring that it meets the highest legal and constitutional standards.
For this reason, the President deserves the appreciation, commendation, and continued support of all CIPSMN members and stakeholders worldwide.
Comrade Prince Akinola Adams
National Publicity Secretary, CIPSMN
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