missy oyinda,, wetin do my story sef ?,

Over 3 yrs, and at last this post gets responses, wow,, lol.

My true story of an office experience, seeing a rich man kid, wanting to be ghetto .

Yes! you can do self study

@Okeyz, nice of you to join us, and i believe all your questions will get answers from time to time on this forum, in the mean time, i will add you to my yahoo msgr, so we can have a chat,

Cheers and Welcome!

@Pittbaby,, Brilliant question , and nice research question too for the house to look into, so any ideas people? because i don't think this is a quick question

@Mikedeoye Glad to see you back , and to know you’re in Nig, it’s been a while, your post started off this tread and where very much informative and enlightened.

As someone with a post graduate certification in SCM and with your working experiences . I thrust we still have a lot more to learn from you and also share with you.

I am currently working on a research project, that details the concept of Integrated Logistics in the Nigerian oil and gas offshore operations, I will share excerpt from it when am done, hopefully by June 2009. In the mean time anyone with any lead as regards this topic should feel free to post them here or get in touch with me via a Private mail (PM)

@ Mike, Welcome Once again.

Check this link below and read post made @ abinibi and myself, it throws more light on CIPS and how to become a member, also visit the website www.cips.org

https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-7497.96.html

CIPS holds its exam twice a year, in May and November; registration for May exams is currently ongoing and close around mid march. Its most like likely that you will be taking the one for November, which is good, because this give you ample time to prepare for the exams.

Hello Noms,

and glad that you could join us, this tread has come a long way since 2006 and somehow we all have kept it alive and strong, in sharing information and knowledge to grow in our chosen profession.

First off, let me say that you have something that is very key in this profession; you have hands on experience already, therefore topping that up with a more relevant degree or professional qualification is absolutely the way to go, and you have taken the right decision to upgrade yourself, all that is left it taking the right step in the right direction.

From your post its is evident as you rightly said, that you want to equip yourself as you continue to raise within your company and also assist colleagues in the distribution department of your company. The channels available for you to upgrade in terms of qualifications are numerous, what is important is picking the right one for you and have it fit into you present tight work schedule.
Here are my suggestions; you can achieve this through two routes ( Academic or professional)

Academic
To pursue an Msc in Supply Chain Management, you will be looking at a minimum of 12 months of full time study outside of Nigeria, because currently I don’t think any University in the country offers a masters program in SCM, although I stand to be corrected.

This mean you will have to take a study leave to pursue your study or on the other hand if you would rather run the program via distance learning, then they are a number of good schools in the UK or US through which you can achieve this in 2 to 3 academic sessions.

Professional
You can seek membership of globally recognized and leading professional bodies in the areas of Logistics and SCM, such as, Charted institute of transport and Logistics (CITL), Institute of supply management (ISM) and the Charted institute of Purchasing and supply (CIPS) and then pursue there certification programs.

For obvious reason, I personally have favoritism for CIPS, its certification structure, module contents and strong Nigeria membership numbers and presence, makes it stand out even in Nigeria, as it dose globally.

Thus it’s up to you to pick which ever route you can follow to upgrade yourself and attain the qualification you desire, however you still need to consider which qualification type is most suited for upward career mobility wthinin your own organization.

I hope this sort of puts the whole qualification upgrade thing, in perspective for you

NB.
I am currently aware that A Management School for Supply chain management is in the process of start up, and will be located in Lagos and Abuja. It will be administered, by a Logistics consultancy firm (Prolog) in conjunction with Ivy League universities in Nigeria, the UK and US and will boost of top notch tutors and facilitators.

I will keep giving updates of this development on this tread, with full details from time to time as it progresses.

Yes!, Black in the oval office,,  I didn’t miss words @sisi Jinx, so go ahead laugh your whatever off and @ ikeyman00 your Ibo brother of the CBN may have rang the bell, and so what? Can’t I ring it my own way?  if you must know the current recession and the fall of the price of  oil in the world market which is also part of the trust of  Chukwuma's bell ringing to the nation, should not be in anyway be confused with the US energy policy change.

While no one even the US saw the coming of the global economic crisis coming, which got fast tracked by the credit crunch and its resultant effect on the demand for oil, but at least we in Nigeria have had over  30year to  see our own problem coming and thus diversify our economy but no!, we didn’t.  We all left the cocoa, rubber, palm oil, groundnut and the hundreds of other resources to tap itself, and then sit back, sell oil blocks to the multinational, allow them drill, and in joint hands with the NNPC, sell oil and share the proceed according to the agreed contracts, and the chunck of the Nigeria share of the loot, gets looted again in the treasury and this has been our history, yet you seat there and tell me Soludo rings the bell, what bell?,,  Why did he wait till obama got into office? Wake up young man and smell the coffee, don’t be bringing soludo all up in my face.

Peace out

Mr Obama proposes to invest $150bn in alternative fuel over the next 10 years, he said the US would not be held "hostage to dwindling resources, hostile regimes, and a warming planet”. He called for greater fuel efficiency and an "energy economy" aimed at creating millions of jobs for Americans.
"We (the US Government )will commit ourselves to steady, focused, pragmatic pursuit of an America that is freed from our energy dependence, and empowered by a new energy economy that puts millions of our citizens to work".
Read and read it well Nigerian government, policy makers and anyone who cares, the hand writing is on the wall, since successive government in Nigeria have only payed lip service to creating an economy for Nigeria that is diversified and not heavily reliant on oil, I guess this is a wakeup call.

If the major buyer of your product say he see a future of less dependence on not just you as a supplier, but also on the product you sell in the market, be very sure there is trouble knocking on your door, because sooner or later other buyers will follow suit, especially if your so called major buyer is successful in the venture he proposes.

The Niger Delta issue is well heard and yet not solved, I want to believe that the crude oil coming out of the Niger delta will not fall under the category of what President Obama will describe as hostile regimes,but i find that hard because not that this phrase has anything to do with the US - Nigeria relations, but with the hostility going on in the oil rich region, It’s my guess that Nigerian crude oil will fall under the category of crude oil from a hostile regimes. You won’t blame him, it’s his watch and his most important task is centred on the American people, hence the move to secure their future by the best means possible.

The Good book says “ he that has an ear let him hear” , permit me to say also, He that has brains, let him use it. Nigeria wake up and smell the coffee

1 Week in the life of a seasoned SCM professional tutor, One exciting story.

Antonia Hynd ,Senior Advisor for Procurement Capacity Building. CROWN AGENTS

http://www.crownagents.com/Anniversary/Item.aspx?contentID=4618

Supply Chain Management Professionals and intending professionals. Below is a good link to bookmark.


http://www.careersinsupplychain.org/additional-resources/dvd.asp

i made that post since jan 2006, and now you picking on what i said ?,

9jabobo or what ever u call yurself, go get a life, negroooo!!

Dear all, let’s not start calling names or blaming CNN more than we already have or keep fighting over it, lets all Talk about our problem (NIGERIA), and how we can be part of the solution, even if its from the point of having our honest views heard,… Ok

I feel a great dismay for our homeland and its people, there’s so much, Ignorance and illiteracy, with or without education, am not saying this to make anyone look bad, no I don’t and wont get a kick from that, but it is the reality, that we either are ignorant or don’t just care about the time bomb we are all seating on,. We don’t ask questions, we don’t challenge even as grass root as it is, our own local government chairmen or even ward counselor on how they spend tax payers  money and government subventions, not to talk of challenging, state  government, or our legislators, and yet we think the problems in every community will go away? No way my friends it wont, (Fela) God bless his soul, said these words years ago “My people dey fear too MUCH!", and funny enough his words still ring true.

However all of that will change, if and only if me, you and hundreds, perhaps millions more, Nigerians from within and out of the region, who know the truth, and how twisted and complicated the problem of Nigeria and especially the Niger delta is, then we need to start now to make the change, the civil rights movement in the US, the Fight against arpartied in south Africa, etc all started from somewhere and today we see the result.

Some may say I sound over ambitious, well your right, my prayer is this, lets all  challenge ourselves,  pull our strength together, gather in numbers, and tell the world and our people the truth, that we will all someday drown in this mess, so its up to us Nigerians to make the change we desire.

I believe, YES! We Can

Just so that I don’t  make duplicity of treads on this topic, I have decided to post my own  contribution here, but its  way beyond CNN,s report and the intent behind it, this is my own report, born out of the confused state  of situation in the Niger Delta. Read!!

Also if I can suggest to Seun, you should please add two more separate sections, on NL, one specially for the Niger Delta, and the second for Lagos state, fashola needs to feel the purse of the people, I bet he wont mind to going through NL to do that.



NIGER DELTA ,Planet in Peril, INDEED!!

[b]Well thanks to the Cable News network, (CNN) Nigeria once again made a major story on one of its program special, Planet in Peril. What is it this time? Well it’s the now world famous Niger Delta story, that’s what was on the news again.

Well this post is actually not about CNN and how it would rather show the ugly or troubled side of Nigeria to the world, and not try to balance those stories with all the Good or great things happening in Nigeria at the same time.

My issues here on this post, is this our so called Niger Delta issue, fight for freedom or what ever they call it, that is now going on in the region for some time, because to me I really don’t know anymore and can't make sense of the whole thing.

If I had grown up in another part of Nigeria, well my ignorance can be excused, but I grew up in the Heart of the so called Niger Delta, and I come from within the region, born and raised up in Warri, Delta state Nigeria and having lived and worked in Port Harcourt for the last four years before living the country, hopefully to return soon,I ought to know better about what the problem in the region is but the truth is that I don’t, and infact nobody really knows what the problem is, as obvious as it may seem, because if we all know, why are we not solving it?.

Just incase you are reading this and, think why is he saying this? Well here’s why I am saying what I just said.

CNN will make the average world viewers and even some Nigeria’s oblivious of the Niger Delta issue, fell like it is Hell out there in the region, and that Nigeria or the Nigeria Delta is just one big hole on the face of the planet, possibly another Sudan or Sierra Leone in the making.

Well its not at least not yet, but the Niger delta is actually what we can call a very complicated case of Evil, done to a group of people or region.

First off, we have a Government, and by that I mean, the Nigerian Government since independence from the British till the present day, that has been so insensitive, greedy, corrupt and far from the reality of what is really going on in the Niger Delta.

Secondly we also have state Governments and Local Goverments within the region that, sadly enough have towed the same line as the Federal Government both during Military and Civilian governments.

Thirdly we have the major multinational oil companies, that have been the actual investors and sometimes rapists on the ground in the Niger delta,

Fourthly the so called community Leaders within the region, and last but not the least, me, you,MEND and all the 1001 militant groups springing up everyday, we all have created this MONSTER! That we see today, called the Niger Delta crisis.

However, my list above is an encompassing one, I will try to make 2 exception, First the Federal Government of the day because it seems to have a good intent for the region, but they are saddle with over 40years of neglect to deal with, lack of trust and to make matters worse the people within the region just can't wait anymore, so this young Government is left to deal with a monster that past Governments in the Military era and the (Obasanjor) OBJ, Government created. The second exception I will make, will be me and you, just so that you don’t get angry that I said you are part of the problem and decide not to read through this, thirdly maybe one or two present Governor from within the region, because of their drive for change, but I wont mention names just yet.


Well CNN report got one thing right, the Niger Delta, is where the thirst for oil has created a deadly situation, the wealth created by the Black gold over the years has gone into pockets of some of the most wicked, greedy and corrupt people on the face of the earth, Presidents, Governors, Local government chairman, state and federal legislators, community leaders, certain foreigners etc, and has eventually created a problem with a hydra head.

I for one believe the wealth underneath the earth in the Niger Delta, is meant to be a blessing, for Nigeria. First for the people within the region that are feeling the direct effect of the exploration activities, and also for the common good of the entire Nigerian state, but sadly enough this is not the case.

The wealth is in the hands of a few, some of them in Government, others out of Government and these people are everywhere round the country, from up north, to down south, from the west and to the east. They have profited from the oil wealth in government purse through their corrupt days in office or out of office, through political connections etc, these are the people that will do any thing for things to remain the way it has always been, and rather unfortunately we have a lot of these people either still in government at one level or the other, or they are Godfathers behind the scene. These groups of people, are like wolfs in wolfs clothing, they are killer bees and will always be a part of Nigeria’s problem.

The so called military or is it militant group we see in the Delta, some are even groups that represent the interest of this same people mentioned above, because since the agitation in the region is growing, they now had to look for other means to continue to milk the wealth from the region, and one of such is to have or sponsor groups  in the Region through this so called Niger Delta struggle, so that with the instability in the region they can profit, either through bunkering of oil, or for those in government securing heavy security vote from national and state budget that they can plunder,  that’s why for me, the credibility of a whole lot of these groups within the Niger Delta that  go by one name or the other, is just a masquerade.

The ones that are really up in arms for a genuine struggle are few, indeed if any.

The Situation in Port Harcourt, capital of Rivers state in the last few years, tells you a story of  how politicians helped in arming  young men to use them in rigging election, these young men becoming wise and kept the guns for themselves, and in some case split up because they two have tasted oil money, power and respect by the gun, and over time we now see, what we see in Port Harcourt and surrounding  town and states, such as Kidnappings for ransom, Bank robbery, jail break, and the tussle for power by some of these gangs, that spilled into the street late 2007, and yet some of this same gangs, YES!! Gangs , have the nerve to call themselves freedom fighters, fighting to free who ?, definitely not me or the millions of Niger Deltan’s that so eagerly want to see a change in the region.

MEND, on the other hand, is still hard to place, they make strong statements and claims, sometimes blow up oil installations, and threaten the oil companies , but at the end of the day leaves everyone wondering, what do they really want ?, where do they want to take this fighting to ?, because to me, I see nothing so far that is constructive about the fighting, yes we all agree that the Federal Government, and  the  Oil companies have for so long robbed the Niger Delta people and we just can't take it anymore, so that’s why (MEND) are fight, but what about the many state governors from within the region that have also looted state treasury while people in the region suffered, what about some of the so called elders that have parleyed with Government , and oil companies to become rich and influential , while its people and the region sufferers, and now they are the ones calling themselves elder or leaders that want to mediated for peace, are these people not known as part of the problem in MEND books?

To Me, I feel If MEND must raise its profile as a true fighter, then its should not just be up in arms, and enjoy clips like the one shown on CNN where they call them “ One of the most Notorious or Violent  militant in the world”, No! to me I think such report do more harm than Good to the cause of MEND, which if am correct is to liberate the Niger delta from years of Poverty and neglect, then it should not let it self be called a Violent group on international TV, its ok to show the Guns and Bazookas, the Hooded face and red head bands on military camouflage, but more importantly they should tell the Niger Delta people and the world, what they have achieved so far?.

So back to why I say the problem is complicated, you have groups within the region, some fighting each other, over who should be the Underground warlord e.g. Tom Ateke and George Sogboma mini war, some groups are just ethnic fighting, e.g. Okrika- Eleme, and the many other inter and intra ethic squabbles that comes up every now and then amongst the hundreds of tribe within the oil rich producing region.

We have the Oil bunkering groups some of which are from the group mentioned above and in some of the text I will write below

We have the criminal group or some time petty thief’s that take advantage of the situation and kidnap, expatriates, or wealthy Nigerians and sometimes regrettably little children also.


We have groups like the well known Militants groups MEND fighting the government Military forces protecting oil installations.

We have to groups that are always on TV, especially private TV stations in Lagos state, talking about the problems in the Niger Delta and how they are going to fight to the end to liberate their people, e.g. Joseph Eva, Asari Dokubo etc, and yet you will hardly see them on local TV or radio stations in the Niger delta region, at least the private radio stations, if they will want to argue that we only have mainly state run TV in the Niger delta region.

We have the state Governors, most of whom where planted by their predecessors, so they really can't investigate past government as we have seen in the last one year plus now, none so far has even accused the immediate past government of corruption, maybe an exception will be in Rivers state, because the Governor came in via a court verdict in his favor.

And last but not the least we, have the me and you and the millions of Niger delta people group, who just seat and watch all the various actors or groups mentioned above do the, siphoning of cash to foreign accounts, the cat catch rat match, finger pointing, blame catapulting, propaganda war, and the shelling, shooting, bombing, that go on in the creeks, or water ways of the Niger delta region.

All these brings me back to where I started, which is this,. Where do we go from here? How can this problem be solved? how can the legitimate groups above be pacified and the criminal and evil one be clearly identified and totally  alienated and flushed out, well its hard to tell, because sometimes,  the boundaries within each of this groupings are not a clear cut one, today I can be the one writting and saying my bit or side of the story, who knows maybe tomorrow I might be amongst the masked ones in the creeks, brandishing a Gun on CNN, or who knows I can somehow find my self in government and get my conscience marred and lot the federal, state  or local purse , or who knows I can still end up as an executive in the oil industry and look for all the best ways to continue milking wealth from the crude oil business, while the trouble in the region rages on.

The CNN report is just meant to do one thing, and the reporter Lisa Ling, said it over and over again in her report, if you listen to it well you will pick up on it. The CNN report just serves to show that a source of crude that is Vital to US economy, is being threatened, and with the pressure already in the US economy, if it should lose oil supply from Nigeria, with out argument that loss very well, you can just imagine what will happen,that’s just it

So it’s not like CNN really want to show this region to the world, so that world leaders or the UN will debate, or pressure the Nigeria government to act, in the most expeditious and bold manner to address the biggest issue facing it nationhood, but that Nigeria’s oil is not a dependable source for supply.However Lisa ling personal statement, on the news show hit the point again, its greed thats at the bottom of all this suffering and trouble in the region

Despite the picture I have painted, I believe there’s hope for the region to change, to rise and to grow, the reason I believe this, is because of what we see today, it is bound to get this worse, before it will get better, although it would have been better if everything had worked well from the start, when oil was first supped at Oloibiri in 1956… or so, well that didn’t happen, but we are at the turning point now, lets keep hope alive and keep praying


This perhaps happens to be my longest post ever, well I have always avoided this topic, but I guess this evening was just the right time to get it off my chest!

Find link
http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/africa/12/11/pip.nigeria.oil/index.html#cnnSTCVideo

Many people may have contrary views to some or all I have said here, but the truth is,  “it is, what it is[/b]

You very right Sir!, indeed there’s a whole lot to talk and share knowledge and experience about, so I think as you said its appropriate to change the focus from professional bodies promotion.

Like you rightly said there is a changing pattern in Global sourcing , china the one country that has seen its GDP grown astronomically in recent times then any other developing nation in that region and indeed the world, is currently seeing less and less investment in terms of companies using china as the destination for low cost country sourcing, for example in the clothing market more and more companies are considering and even setting up shop in other far eastern countries like Vietnam, where production cost and labour cost is a lot cheaper, also with the growing concern about quality issues e.g. the Toy recall issues and the recent problem with Milk from china.
china is even becoming less an attractive destination but that’s on the one hand, because despite these challenges the Chinese government is putting a lot in place to change the perception of chain as a low cost sourcing country, its trying to develop china’s capability so that china can bee seen as a country that can offer considerable level of technology and quality, its also trying to develop internal level of production and consumption of Chinese goods by Chinese.

From recent publication I have read and seen online a lot of funding is going into development, to shit infrastructural developments to the hinterland where there has been less development and as such an uneven spread of wealth and development in the country.
All of this will have far reaching effects on global logistics, sourcing in and from chain.

I believe it’s by having a global perspective of what’s happening around the world in times like these where there’s a lot of uncertainty, due to global recession and the present financial crisis hitting some of the western nations. It was even on the news today that the US, China and Germany are all under recession at the moment.
Datriplea like u said theres actually an ongoing preference for Mexico over China as a manufacturing hub by US manufacturers, but even this has its own challenges as is been seen now, with border congestion issues, cultural issues, and the most important the lack of certain skilled labour in mexico,often times companies have had to send staffs to and fro, from the US to mexico just to cover some important roles or functions.

As you will know, most of this manufactures, will like to keep the core of the business in the US, things like product design, marketing, etc in the US and take the other part which is maily the production aspects to places like mexico due to the avalibility of cheap land and labour, hence we can see major development or congestion of manufacturing plants in border towns on the side of the developing countries such as mexico in this case.


If the people in government in a country like Nigeria, the policy makers, economist
etc should do any thing, I feel the one thing they should do is learn from the experience of the western world and better manage our own developing economies


It will do us a lot of good is other will contribute to this issues, things like the global ecomomic trends and its effects on the procurment,sourcing and logistics sectors?,

eolaoye:

Hello Wills,

Thanks for starting this thread.

I've spent some time developing software for the scm department in a telecoms firm. My dream is to take Nigeria to the next level of procurement by providing procure to pay solutions like those in the UK and US. I'm quite interested in discussing with you (and other interested people) as you said you're familiar with Ariba.

I would also want all the scm professionals here to post problems they are currently facing in their various organizations and let's discuss how we can solve them cost effectively. problems like supplier sourcing, invoicing, integration with accounts payable et cetera.

Dear eolaoye,

Great to have you here with us, your certainly in the right place to birth this solution you are talking about and i think its a great idea,  i for one , have spent over 3 yrs in the sales and collections unit of a major oil and gas logistics services provider and i can say i have quite some experience with the  P to P, of some of these major companys most especially CNL. Creating a solution to tailor this kind of tech to small and medium scale copmaines locally wont be bad at all.

I see great things ahead and thats the whole idea of this thread, which soon will have in addition  to it ,a dedicated forum, as we are still working on bringing it back online.

I presently running around trying to put one or two  personal things togthere, thats why i have  not posted on this thread lately. so here are my details, Every one should feel free to call or leave and email.


Hope to hear from you soon.

Why we deny student visas in Nigeria - British High Commission
Abuja - The British High Commission on Wednesday said the lack of standards in administrative procedures by most universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education was responsible for its denial of many students the visas to study in UK. The commission gave the number of student applications for visas in Abuja as almost 60,000 in 2007, while Lagos was said to have a higher number in the same year.

The Verification Officer of the British High Commission, Mrs. Esther Samuel, and the Entry Clearance Forgery Officer, Mr. Coran Oakley, both confirmed that the situation had become a ‘nightmare’ to the commission.

Samuel said a situation where universities in Nigeria did not have a standard procedure for signing documents or processing information on students had led to so much forgery of documents within the system.

Consequently, she said the situation had led the commission to turn down thousands on student visa requests, including possible genuine ones, because it was unable to get who were the authorized officers to sign documents for students of some institutions. Samuel lamented that the situation was worse with the polytechnics and colleges of education where there were no formats for documents and certificates from most of them.

She said, “Now, our system of assessing student visas is based on documents. So, to confirm the authenticities of those documents is very imperative. We have tried to establish contact with the universities and polytechnics, but honestly it has been very difficult and frustrating”.

Some universities have good email contact and have written back to us to confirm the genuineness or otherwise of some students’ documents. But, in many cases it is impossible.

“The main headache is from documents we get from polytechnics and colleges of education. They are a nightmare. There are no standard format for the certificates and no security features on all the certificates. Anybody can fake them and bring to us. This has led to refusal of some probable genuine students visas.”

Source: The Punch

Biliamin:

hi wills and AB,

I will so much appreciate it if you can assist me on any vital information required for CIPS. I have been to their site and I discovered that registration in on for November diet.

I require information like:
stage to appy for with my qualification
Location for Lectures, if any
Materials
Past Questions.

My persomnal E mail is midborn2002@yahoo.co.uk.

Thanks so much in advance

@ Biliamin,
CIPS Normally will process your application for membership within a week or two. However at busiest times it can take longer, up to 28 days to confirm your membership.

Reg for NOV 2008 exams closes on the 17 of SEPT 2008, so the chances of you taking the Nov exams is quite slim, but I will suggest that if you really want to take the Nov exams, you should contact CIPS Membership Advice at qualifications@cips.org they can tell you if this will be possible, then you can commence your registration at the Local British council Office closest to you.

As regards your questions below

I will get back to you on that later, duty calls.

AB. Well said,

Your breakdown, really drove it home making a decision as regards CIPS/CIPSM would not be a tough task for anyone going by your analysis.

With out a doubt, I will say you should go for CIPS, and here are some of my reasons.

CIPS is an international professional body with its certifications having a whole lot of acceptance globally.
Professional body like CIPS, ISM and IPSA in South Africa to me, are like pile drivers in the profession,

With CIPS its not just certifications, there are many means to keep track of developments in the profession and also means to updated your knowledge, e.g. conferences, workshops and seminars, training/short courses, Supply management magazine, articles and publications, research findings, Continuing Professional Development CPD, access to international journal, P and SCM tools and templates, online study and the ability to network within the profession.

The cost of pursuing CIPS is quite reasonable with special reduced fees for Africa, also having means to pay for subscription and exams fees locally via the British council makes it a lot easier.

We live in the era of Globalization and like they say, I think its time “We Nigerians wake up and smell the coffee” and position our self’s to compete in this global economy. In this light, I think and strongly feel that the CIPMN should be a lot more strategic in its approach towards the profession. Some sort of partnership or affiliation to CIPS will be the best way to go there’s no better time than now, since a Nigerian and the first black man is now the President of CIPS
Dr Bola Afolabi (FCIPS) General Manager SAP, NNPC.


So my Friend I think CIPS is an easy choice to make in this matter. But all the same CIPMN is our own national body regulating the profession of P and SCM Locally and deserves our support in other ways we can give that support.


Hope this help

Dear Abinibi,

Thanks so much for joining in on this tread, i trust your wealth of experience in this profession will do most of us  a lot of good in our professional quest in SCM, Procurement and logistics.

Like you i studied mech engr, (production option) , now progressing to Level 5 in the CIPS certifications and currently i work within the commercial department of a major logistics support servicing company.

I certainly will love to meet with you, one on one, i reside and work in PH .

Cheers and God bless.

You are most welcome Sir,

To share ideas, inspire each other and develop our knowledge, share information and more is what this tread is all about.

To your question since you are starting your studies for a first degree in International Business, I suggest you start at the Level 2 introductory certificate levels and build your way up the ladder, however since you are in the UK, there’s an alternative route to full membership, find out if the course of study you are about to undertake is an accredited degree, N/SVQ level 4 in Procurement or SCM.


Level 2 award?
It is designed to provide an overview for anyone who is interested in developing their knowledge of purchasing; those who are new to the purchasing function and those whose job role requires them to make limited purchasing decisions. It is likely that they will have little formal knowledge of or training in purchasing processes.

Level 2 is the first award on the CIPS ladder of qualifications so someone new to purchasing may use it as the first step on the ladder and continue upwards to the other Levels. However it can equally be a stand-alone qualification. Upon successful completion of the Level 2 Introductory Certificate, you will be awarded the grade of Certificate Member
Membership types to meet your educational and professional needs
Membership structure caters for different educational and professional needs, both of those working directly in purchasing and supply chain management and its associated disciplines, students and of those with an interest in the area.

The seven types of membership provide a clear structure that allows entry at an appropriate level, accurately reflecting your academic standards, vocational skill, experience and contribution to the profession.


CIPS Membership Grades --------Grade on completion

Level 7 Executive Diploma --------MCIPS
Level 6 Graduate Diploma(+3 years’ experience)-Full Member MCIPS
Level 5 Advanced Diploma ----------Associate Member
Level 4 Foundation Diploma ----------Diploma Member
International Advanced Certificate ---------Certificate Member
Level 3 Certificate ---------Certificate Member
International Certificate ---------Certificate Member
Level 2 Introductory Certificate ----------Certificate Member
Affiliate ----------Affiliate Member


1. Fellow (FCIPS) – awarded to existing Members (MCIPS) with a record of outstanding achievement and competence in purchasing and supply chain management.

2. Full Member (MCIPS) – Full Members are recognized internationally for their professional accomplishment. Most Members achieve MCIPS by completing the CIPS Graduate Diploma. However, alternative routes include the successful completion of an accredited degree, N/SVQ level 4 in Procurement or SCM, CIPS Corporate Award, or a CIPS Personal Development Plan.

3. Associate Member – Associate Member is the grade for people who are developing their careers, those who achieved the Level 5 Advanced Diploma or a CIPS Corporate Award Stage 1, or working towards MCIPS through the Personal Development Plan (PDP). Please note that although successful completion of a PDP awards Full Member status, it does not award the Graduate Diploma.

4. Diploma Members - Diploma Members have successfully completed the Level 4 Foundation Diploma or the International Advanced Certificate.

5. Student – Certificate Member Student memberships is the entry level for new practitioners at the earliest stage of their professional development and are undertaking CIPS qualifications or their equivalent. Students have full access to CIPS benefits at a reduced subscription rate during their course of study, Level 3 certificate
Level 2 introductory certificate, International certificate

6. Affiliates – this grade is designed for individuals who do not wish to become professionally qualified but have a strong interest in purchasing and supply. There are no entry qualifications for affiliate membership.

NOTE
To join any of the qualification programmes offered by CIPS you must first register as a member. A registration fee is payable together with an annual subscription to maintain your registration and to give you access to the examinations.

Hope this information helps, leave a post on the tread is you need further clearifications.

The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport UK


The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport UK, is represented all over the world. Each National Council or Section operate individually, and are overseen by an International body to maintain Quality Standards.

Membership of the Institute is held locally in NIGERIA, subscriptions are paid to the local office, as well as all other aspects of Institute administration.


FOR DETAILS

Nigeria
National Independent Section

Address
The Chartered Institute of Logistics
& Transport in Nigeria
c/o Nigerian Railway Buildings
Murtala Muhammad way
Alagomeji PO BOX 152
Ebuta Meta
Lagos
Nigeria


Telephone 00 234 1 7940437


Fax 00 234 1 2693593


Email ciltnig@yahoo.com


Website http://www.ciltnig.com




The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport.

INTERNATIONAL SECTION. WEBSITE

http://www.cilt-international.com/web/pages/home

TRANSPORT & LOGISTIC COORDINATOR - NIGERIA

Job reference n°: NGA0195

OUR CLIENT

an international group operating in the logistics sector, is looking for a Transport & Logistic Coordinator for its Nigerian’s subsidiary.

JOB DESCRIPTION

Reporting to the Operations manager and in close relationship with the clearing dept, the Transport and logistics coordinator is in charge of planning and managing all logistics services which consist of a fleet of over 60 trucks.
This position has the responsibility for budget adherence, productivity improvements, team training, safety and customer service.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• To organize all land transportation
• To update the rates and give technical advices and quotations
• To optimize the transport and logistics capacities of the company
• To maintain close contacts with forwarding
• Full supervision of the operation and maintenance of the following
• Job Planning, invoicing, morning operations review, night operations review, dispatching official documentation, Checking file process to Head Office
• To invoice : stevedoring job end of the month, storage of containers, demurrages on containers, export and packing for containers ; to receive invoices from dedicated hired trucks
• Controlling: Balance sheet (results), Drivers board book, Administrative complain book, Operating account
• Control: to follow demurrages, Ratio fuel consumption / mileage
• Boards: Comparison CAP haulage and delay, demurrages and aborted jobs; Comparison fuel and overtime, availability ratio, rentability (spare parts costs, tyres costs, immobilisation time, mileage) per truck and fleet; board control costs (communication, furniture); monthly logistics and transport gross margin

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• Minimum 5 years experience in the logistic sector, with a real experience in the optimization of a fleet of trucks or any similar equipments
• 5 years experience of significant team management
• Master of the logistics’ softwares
• A driving License is a must
• Fluent in English
• Computer fluency
• Has strong communication skills and professional appearance
• The ability to communicate on all levels
• Excellent leadership, motivational and presentation skills
• Works well under pressure and able to be up to the deadlines

WHAT IS ON OFFER

Attractive Expatriate package

If your experience, personal characteristics and qualifications meet the position specifications and your personal objectives are to seek such a challenge, then we would like to hear from you with details of your current earnings, up to date CV and explanation as to why your achievements to date fit you for consideration.

Please send us your salary expectations, your english resume and application form and indicate the job reference NGA0195 at: adexen-52841@talentprofiler.com

No, the 10% is based on the tuition only and that’s what u pay 1st, on opening the account. That money they say will be invested on your behalf while you are out of the country. Also if you chose the repayment option where you are given a 6 month moratorium i.e., a stay on your repayment, Then the repayment will be serviced during this period, from this amount in your account that’s the 10%.

go to

www.bankphb.com

Equity contribution of 20% is, lets say you need a loan of 3M, you will have to make a contribution of 20% of that amount  1st,which amounts to 600,000K.

so Now the actual loan amount is 2.4M and that i want to believe is the amount you have to base your repayment on using the 19% intrest rate.

Hope this Helps.

Also i will try to forward a link of this page to the customers service email of bankPHB, so that they can throw more light on this tread.

I have been in contact with the Bank Via, Email and also visited 3 of its branches to get a good understanding of this product on offer, personally I think, except a better deal comes up from other banks, NGO ,co-operatives, Communities and good willed people who are willing to bank roll peoples studies in the UK or any other Country where we all seek education of a better quality, then the Bank PHB UK education loan is it.

Here are a few answers to Queries i sent to the Bank via Email. And there answers



1.I will like to know the interest rates on this loan? ----The interest rate is 19%



2. What’s the difference b/w a sponsor and a guarantor?----A sponsor can also be your guarantor



3. If my guarantor provides acceptable collateral, is he still required to service the debt over the tenor of the facility? -----Your sponsor or guarantor must be servicing the interest monthly or both the interest and principal. The collateral is just an addition comfort to the bank.



4. Provided I have met all the required payments (the 20% equity contribution and down payment 10% of the tuition fees) in the UK education loan account, how long will it take to process the loan facility? -----To a large extent depends on your collateral. For shares -3 days, legal mortgage- 3 weeks, fixed deposit 2 days etc



5. Must my sponsors or guarantor be residing in Nigeria ? Yes



Other info, I got from my visit to there branches are you have to open the account, make a deposit of 10% of the tuition fee. Then get the loan application form, apply for the Loan, provide all the required documentations, if or when your loan is processed you will have to make a 20% equity contribution of virtually the total sum you will require i.e. (tuition fees, accommodation, air tickets and sustenance)


Hope this help clear the air,If you have to, then do it, nobody said life was going to be easy, weigh the risk, with the future advantages and make a decision, and what’s more banks are not charity they are profit driven.

Nice idea!,

But seek information .

Education loan and the hidden challenges
By Steve Ayorinde
Published: Thursday, 10 Apr 2008
There is good news for Nigerian students desirous of British qualifications, as an education finance facility, courtesy of Bank PHB, offers assistance to prospective candidates. The Bank PHB Education Loan, which will be available from next month, according to a report in the Financial Standard of Monday April 7, 2008, targets qualified candidates that require financial support in earning a British degree.

All that is required, seemingly, of a candidate or guarantor to benefit from this first-of-its-kind educational facility is to open an education account with the bank and build it up to 50 per cent of the school fees as advised by the institution of the candidate’s choice, after which application can be made for a UK Education Loan that will cover the school fees, accommodation and maintenance for the duration of the course. The 50 per cent deposited with the bank, it was clarified, would be invested on behalf of the candidate by the bank’s asset management unit and held in trust till the completion of the academic programme.

In anticipation of its popularity, the bank is also wooing those already in the UK who might require immediate loans to complete their studies. All it takes is to build up the deposit, get a guarantor to apply for the loan and be ready to service the debt over the tenure of the facility. Obviously eager to support a potentially lucrative initiative to the British education, the British Council in Nigeria is offering total support to the education loan. In 2006/07 academic session alone, according to the figures released by the council, about 11,500 Nigerians pursued full-time undergraduate and postgraduate studies in the UK. Save for a fraction of those that might have benefited from scholarships, the majority would have financed their education through private means. And so with the education loan introduced just in time to meet the 2008/09 academic session, it is expected that many more Nigerians would benefit from the high quality that British education offers; or so it seems.

As a novel idea in an environment where scholarship schemes and organised support grants are limited, the Bank PHB Education Loan will be, no doubt, considered remarkable. In the UK, where the largest number of Nigerians outside the country are believed to be studying, student loans are central to the practical pursuit of higher education. They are an important consideration for many reasons, not the least the fact that they save students the rigour of full or part-time jobs which are always detrimental to their studies during academic terms.

For many Nigerians studying in the UK, the first lesson always learnt is that student loans are the most common financial arrangements made to ease the financial burden of studying. But as international candidates, they are usually excluded from such facilities. And anybody that had ever been in financial dire straits as an international student would know the limitation of 20 hours of part-time job in a week, as well as the long winded process to earn meagre respite from charities and foundations.

A home-grown facility such as Bank PHB is proposing may, therefore, sound like the needed impetus to earning a degree that tends to guarantee a good job. Yet, cryptically, an educational loan specifically designed for overseas studies alone tends to raise more questions than it answers. And it all comes down to huge figures!

While the intention will be saluted, questions are bound to be asked as to why it becomes expedient to support the quest to study abroad than to support at home, both the crumbling infrastructure of learning and the obvious widening gap between all higher institutions combined and the growing band of secondary school leavers roaming the streets, even with the requisite five Ordinary Levels credits and universities’ admission requirements.

Could it then be for the reason of pecuniary gains to the bank alone that a student would be encouraged to apply for a student loan of more than N2m per session, for tuition fees alone in a UK university, than invest say N350,000 per session in a reliable private university in Nigeria, since the perception that public universities are prone to disruptions of academic calendars still persists?

It is worth explaining, when Bank PHB compares its scheme to student loans abroad, does it take into account the fact that home students in the UK only pay a fraction of the fees paid by Nigerians and other foreigners; and yet, enjoy government-backed loans that grow with inflation every year and are paid off as a graduate tax of 10 per cent on earnings over £15,000 a year?

The comparison, certainly, is misplaced. While a British undergraduate or a postgraduate candidate would ideally pay £3,000 for tuition in a year with a loan not repayable except he gets a job worth £15,000 a year; a Nigerian ‘beneficiary’ of the new education loan will first have to deposit N1m before getting twice that amount to pay for a year’s tuition at not less than £9,000 in the UK, if he is in a non-science or MBA class.

For an undergraduate with a four-year course who is also similarly billed per year, almost N10m would have been taken as loans for school fees alone. Pray, what repayment terms, considering the impact of compound interest, would rescue such a student from perpetual indebtedness? If the education loan is meant to come across as a scheme for the rich and the upper middle class alone, it will be interesting to see how many will appreciate the wisdom in borrowing half of what you can afford; and as more cynical fellows would say, invest in the British education in a year what would be sufficient to build a bungalow in six months.

What all these say to the education sector in Nigeria is that the situation is less than ideal. And we are not just seeing it in the stupendous amount that some candidates are willing to invest in education abroad, but also in the huge number of those keen to leave as education migrants every year.

According to the British High Commission, only 8,000 out of the 28,000 that applied for student visas in 2006 were granted (17,000 applications for student visas were refused in 2007). At N27,000 non-refundable fees, the High Commission would have made about N540m from the applications that were rejected alone. And if half of those granted ended up enrolling, millions of pound sterling would have been injected into the British education sector, courtesy of Nigerians.

While it is, no doubt, desirable, every education loan, whether at home or abroad, requires a good sense of financial acumen from potential candidates. What is sad, however, is that we may be seeing the result of many years of heavy advertisement of all shades of British education in Nigeria, with every kind of institution purporting to offer the best for the abroad-crazy Nigerian student.