Manny Ita
The Federal High Court in Abuja has issued an interim injunction restraining the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) from proceeding with its planned certification convocation and policy dialogue session originally scheduled for today, January 29, 2026. Justice Obiora Egwuatu granted the order on Wednesday evening following an ex parte motion filed by the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply Management of Nigeria (CIPSMN), which is challenging the BPP’s statutory authority to conduct the Nigeria Public Procurement Certification Programme (NPCP). The court directed the BPP and the Attorney-General of the Federation to appear by 12 noon today to show cause why the injunction should not be sustained, warning that no actions should be taken that would render the judicial process nugatory.
The legal challenge centers on the NPCP, a World Bank-funded initiative designed to professionalize public procurement, which was set to graduate approximately 2,100 participants today. CIPSMN argues that as the sole statutory body established by law to regulate and certify procurement practitioners in Nigeria, the BPP’s attempt to issue practice licenses through its own program is “illegal, misleading, and a violation of existing laws.” The institute previously petitioned anti-graft agencies, alleging that the Bureau’s move subverts statutory authority and creates a conflict of interest within the regulatory framework of the Public Procurement Act 2007.
While the BPP has defended the program as a “game-changer” for national procurement reform and transparency, the court’s intervention has effectively suspended the graduation ceremony. Justice Egwuatu emphasized the need to preserve the status quo, stating that the defendants are “restrained from holding its planned Certification Convocation and Policy Dialogue session slated for January 29, 2026.” The outcome of the midday hearing will determine whether the Bureau can proceed with its certification efforts or if the professionalization of the sector must remain exclusively under the purview of the chartered institute.
