By Luminous Jannamike
ABUJA – The Federal Government has moved to strengthen health sector procurement by certifying a new group of officers through the CIPS–HPA Nigeria qualification programme.
Officials say the reform is aimed at reducing waste, improving transparency, and ensuring access to safe and affordable medicines.
The announcement was made at a graduation ceremony in Abuja, where the Director-General of the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), Dr. Adebowale Adedokun, the Country Director of the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS), Chukwudi Uche, and the CIPS Country Manager, Pharm. Omokhapue Joseph, addressed participants.
Dr. Adedokun said the certification represents professional competence and ethical standards in procurement.
“Your success means that woman who requires basic health care and that child who needs basic medical drugs can feel assured that they will get standard prescriptions when they visit any health facility,” he told the graduates.
He added that the initiative would help prevent malpractice in the sector.
“That we now have a crop of people who will say no to fake drugs, who will say no to inflation of contracts, and who will say no to wrong prescriptions is what this certificate means,” he said.
The BPP Director-General also noted that the government had revised procurement thresholds to reflect economic realities and introduced standard documents and sourcing strategies for health procurement.
Dr. Adedokun urged all procurement officers to register on the National Procurement Officers Management System, warning that those not listed would not be recognised as professionals.
“If you are not there, you are not a procurement officer. You are a quack,” he said.
CIPS Country Director, Chukwudi Uche, highlighted the economic benefits of the programme, saying some participating states had already recorded significant savings.
“Through our support, some of these states have recorded about 40 to 50 per cent improvement in the cost of health products. The implication is that more Nigerians can now access affordable, quality-assured medicines,” Uche said.
He explained that improved procurement practices were also enabling local manufacturers to plan and invest more effectively, strengthening the supply chain.
Pharm. Omokhapue Joseph said participants were drawn from federal and state agencies, including the Federal Ministry of Health, the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria, and the BPP.
“We see these officers as catalysts and change agents that can help regulators make better policies and guidelines to reform the health sector,” he said.
He added that the intervention, supported by the Gates Foundation, was designed to address longstanding weaknesses in health procurement by building capacity and improving accountability.
The officials stressed that the reforms would help ensure coherence, reduce duplication, and improve efficiency in health procurement across the country.
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