A Pan African logistics firm House of Procurement (HOP) has signed an agreement with Kabarak University a move that will allow setting up of A Supply Chain Business School of Africa at the institution.
HOP Group Managing Director Benard Odote said that the school will cater for students and professionals who would like to hone their logistics and procurement skills.
“We have witnessed increased demand for logistics and procurement talent. We hope that the school will be able to churn out skilled professionals to match the prevailing demand,” said Mr Odote.
He lamented that while there is a considerable number of students studying supply chain management courses in institutions of higher learning in Kenya, the universities do not have enough experts to train them.
“We then end up with poorly equipped employees, collapsed businesses and failed Government functions,” said Mr Odote.
This he said contributes to at least 70 per cent of all failed business and below standard public services.
While there is a considerable number of students studying supply chain management courses in institutions of higher learning in Kenya, the institutions do not have enough experts to train them. Benard Odote
According to Odote, the key objective of HOP and the new HOP Academy is to demonstrate the critical role played by the Logistics, Procurement and Supply Chain (LPS) functions in businesses and governments.
This is why HOP has partnered with global international institutions such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology, The European Institute of Purchasing Management, Zaragoza Logistics Center, Singapore Institute of Purchasing and Materials Management (SIPMM), Malaysian Institute of Supply Chain Innovation (MISI) as well as COMPRARA Australia to launch this Business School across Africa.
Presiding over the inking of the agreement, Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI) Chairman Kipruto Kittony said that the myriad of infrastructural projects going on in the country, are demanding good procurement and supply chain expertise that an institution like the HOP Academy could offer.
“Never since the Americans came up with the Marshall Plan to reconstruct Europe after the Second World War has massive investment in infrastructure occurred like it is currently happening. With this kind of investment, procurement expertise is very critical for the economy,” Mr Kittony said.
House Of Procurement is a Pan African logistics company that operates in the region with offices in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Nigeria.