Tinubu’s reforms rebuilding global confidence in Nigeria – Shettima
Vice President Kashim Shettima has said the ongoing reforms under President Bola Tinubu are steadily restoring the confidence of the global community in Nigeria, as reflected in growing international participation in professional certification programmes hosted in the country.
Shettima made the remark on Thursday at the inaugural Convocation Ceremony of the Nigeria Procurement Certification Programme (NPCP), held at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
He was represented by the Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, Senator Ibrahim Hadejia.
The Vice President noted that the graduation of the first cohort, 2,100 certified procurement professionals drawn from Nigeria and other countries, marked a significant milestone in the implementation of the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
“Today, we celebrate 2,100 certified procurement professionals from Nigeria and across the globe. This achievement signals that the international community is beginning to trust Nigeria’s reform efforts, the credibility of this programme and the seriousness of its content,” he said.
According to him, the participation of foreign professionals in the maiden cohort underscores Nigeria’s resolve to move beyond mediocrity and position itself as a benchmark for procurement excellence in Africa and beyond.
Shettima recalled that public procurement was once viewed merely as an administrative necessity, often misinterpreted and abused, but stressed that under the current administration, it has become central to governance and national development.
“When procurement fails, development fails. The way public resources are converted into roads, hospitals, schools, security infrastructure and social services is determined by procurement. This administration understands that reality and has chosen to confront it head-on,” he said.
He added that for an ambitious nation like Nigeria, prudent, transparent and strategic management of public resources is not an afterthought but the engine room of development under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
The Vice President described the Bureau of Public Procurement as pivotal to the reform drive, noting that beyond regulation, the agency bears the responsibility of building a professional, ethical and competent procurement workforce.
Addressing the graduands, Shettima reminded them of their unique role as pioneers of the certification programme and urged them to uphold integrity, transparency and patriotism in their professional conduct.
“You are stewards of value for money and custodians of public trust. Let your conscience be guided by your certification. Let integrity define your practice and loyalty to country be your compass,” he said.
He congratulated the BPP, the leadership of the SPESSE Project, international financial institution and other development partners, noting that the milestone would strengthen institutions, rebuild public trust and move Nigeria closer to its development aspirations.
Earlier, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Procurement, Senator Olajide Ipinsagba, pledged the support of the National Assembly for the sustainability of the NPCP, urging graduands to deploy their skills to strengthen transparency and efficiency in public procurement.
On his part, Director-General of the BPP, Dr Adebowale Adedokun, said the programme, implemented in collaboration with development partners, was designed to deepen capacity building and entrench a sustainable procurement culture in Nigeria’s public service.
He disclosed that President Tinubu has approved the full deployment of community-based procurement officers nationwide to align procurement practices with global standards and ensure judicious use of public resources.
Also speaking, National Project Coordinator of the SPESSE Project, Dr Joshua Attah, said the programme marked a historic step towards strengthening accountability in public procurement, adding that Centres of Excellence in Procurement had so far trained over 40,000 candidates through digital learning and certification platforms.
In her remarks, the World Bank’s Chief Procurement Officer, Ms Hiba Tahboub, commended the Federal Government for its consistent investment in the procurement function and urged other African countries to emulate Nigeria’s structured approach to professionalising public procurement.
