Seplat Energy Plc has become the first company in Nigeria to receive the prestigious Procurement Excellence Standard Certificate from the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS), marking a major milestone for the independent energy giant and the country’s procurement landscape.
The award was formally presented by Ben Farrell, Global CEO of CIPS, at Seplat’s headquarters in Ikoyi, Lagos, on June 5, 2025. According to Farrell, the certificate is a rare and serious recognition, reserved only for organisations that show an unwavering commitment to excellence in procurement.
“We don’t give these Certificates away, because they are serious, meaningful recognition of that ambition,” said Farrell. “It is designed for hard work and to be rigorous… So it is a real recognition of your commitment and the team’s commitment.”
Seplat began its application journey for the certification in February 2023, undergoing rigorous evaluation against 98 criteria across five key dimensions including leadership, systems, and governance. The final assessment took place in January 2025, with CIPS confirming Seplat’s success the following day.
Chief Operating Officer of Seplat, Samson Ezugworie, expressed gratitude to the CIPS team and praised the company’s supply chain department for embracing the demanding process.
“We made a deliberate decision to go this route because supply chain is the bedrock of our business,” said Ezugworie. “It is the channel of our spend, and it is very important to get that foundation right — with transparency that this process brings.”
Valentine Agwu, General Manager of Supply Chain Management, explained that Seplat adopted the CIPS Procurement Excellence Programme (PEP) Model in 2021 as part of a broader transformation.
“It took us two years of rigorous assessment… I am proud to announce that we passed in flying colours,” said Agwu.
This achievement not only cements Seplat’s status as a trailblazer in Nigeria but also makes it the second oil and gas company in Africa to attain this globally respected certification.
Ezugworie challenged the SCM team to pursue the Platinum Category of the certificate next, setting a new sustainability benchmark for the company.
Seplat’s recognition by CIPS underscores its commitment to best-in-class governance and procurement practices, serving as a model for industry peers across the continent.
