The scting Director, Centre for Procurement, Logistics and Supply Chain Management, Kaduna State University (KASU), Dr Safiya Abubakar, says the KADProCHAIN 1.0 International Industry Summit will shape the future of global procurement and supply chain systems.
Abubakar spoke on Tuesday at the opening of the three-day summit in Kaduna organised by the centre, in collaboration with the Kaduna State Public Procurement Authority (KADPPA).
The theme of the summit was ‘Advancing Procurement, Logistics, and Supply Chain Through Research’, Certification, and Industry Collaboration’.
Abubakar said the summit was a global dialogue bringing together professionals, regulators, researchers and industry leaders to discuss emerging trends that would improve logistics and transparency in supply chains.
She said the establishment of the centre had strategically positioned Nigeria as a hub for innovation, research and certification in the field.
According to her, procurement and logistics drive the global economy and must be efficient and resilient to withstand disruptions.
Abubakar said the summit would examine governance reforms, gender-responsive procurement, sustainability and measures to combat fraud in the sector.
Abubakar said Kaduna state’s gender-responsive procurement model had become a reference point with potential to serve as a global research case study.
She added that certifications being provided at the summit by international bodies would boost competence and open global opportunities for practitioners.
Abubakar said Artificial Intelligence applications in warehousing and ethical issues in global business would also be discussed.
The Director-General (D-G) of KADPPA, Mr Sanusi Yero, said the summit had strengthened Kaduna’s reputation as a leading reform state in procurement accountability and public financial management.
He said Kaduna was the first subnational to domesticate the Public Procurement Act and the first to join the Open Government Partnership.
Yero added that the state pioneered end-to-end e-procurement and signed the national e-GP framework on behalf of the 36 states under the
States Fiscal Transparency, Accountability, and Sustainability programme (SFTAS).
He said Kaduna also became the first subnational to join the CoST Infrastructure Transparency Initiative in 2023.
The director-general said the state approved a gender-responsive procurement policy in 2024 to expand economic participation for women-owned businesses.
Yero disclosed that procurement reforms saved the government more than 22 billion naira in 2025 through improved review and certification processes.
He said advance payment reforms had eliminated abandoned projects and prevented contract liabilities under the present administration.
Also speaking, the Chairman, Forum of Directors-General of Public Procurement Authorities in the 36 states, Mr Ehimoni Joshua, said the collaboration between academia and regulatory agencies was crucial to strengthening procurement reforms nationwide.
Joshua, who is also the Director-General of Kogi Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), said procurement and supply chain systems were central to infrastructure delivery, industrial growth and economic resilience.
He said states had recorded progress in due process enforcement, digital systems and professional certification, but still face disruptions, capacity gaps and technology-driven challenges.
Joshua urged continuous research, standardised training and stronger private-sector cooperation to sustain reform momentum.
He appealed to the participants to use the summit to develop innovative solutions and strengthen partnerships for improved transparency and value for money.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the summit has drawn participants from within and outside Nigeria.
