( With Dr Bola Afolabi, Current CIPS President)
On the 28 February 2006, I started a tread called Logistics/Supply Chain Management on one of the most popular webforum in Nigeria called Nairaland. Follow link to view postings on this treadhttp://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-7497.0.html
My aim basically was to use the opportunity an online forum can offer, to interact, share and gain ideas, information,network and generally increase awareness of the Procurement, Logistics and Supply chain management profession.
This act of sharing my passion for the profession online has over the years sparked off series of positive and constructive events in my career quest, some of which I have reflected upon in the text below.
Although my initial undergraduate study and immediate post study working experience were all related to engineering, I soon fall in love with the logistics and SCM profession when in March of 2005 I gained my 1st substantive Job with Integrated Logistics services Nigeria Limited. 3rd party Logistics provider and port operator operating at the Onne oil and gas free zone, Rivers state Nigeria. Follow link to company site www.Intelservices.com.
This new found love for the profession created a passion within me to gain more practical on the job experience in both operations activities and commercial sides of the business of my former employers.
Working in close contact with commercial co-ordinators, logistics supervisors, credit controllers and my line managers I strived to continually gain insight into the vast operations carried out within the free zone.
My setting up of a tread on the renowned nairaland website was not just one more way to pass off leisure time but to be actively interacting in a Logistics and SCM related environment online and continual build other peoples awareness of the profession.
To further supplement the on hand experiences gained from my full time day job, I sought to acquire advanced knowledge in procurement/ SCM and joined the Chartered institute of Purchasing and supply CIPS UK in March 2006. I attend its 1st seminar in Nigeria held at the capital city Abuja that same year, and also took advantage to read its publications and CIPS magazine (Supply management). By 2007 I commenced the CIPS professional exam with a view to attaining the MCIPS qualification.
To increase my know-how and versatility in the profession in 2008 I proceeded for full time study at a fine rated institution for Logistics program. The Univeristy of Huddersfield in West Yorkshire United Kingdom, for a degree course in Logistics management. This has further set me off in the right course towards obtaning a gratifying career.
Information people have shared with me on the nairaland forum has to a large extent contributed in helping me in my career drive and in building a very solid network of professionals and friends on and offline. It’s my sincere hope that the information’s I have shared and will keep sharing will do same, if not much more for others also. A genuine action to always give without necessary expecting to receive in return, can always comes back in bountiful measures.
Knowing that people are always there to help and share useful information as one strives to build or further develop ones career path has kept the tread on nairaland alive with strong contributions from many posters e.g. mikedeoye, onwuzuam, abinibi just to mention a few.
In due course and by the grace of God, the plans to take this to a wider platform will someday materialize.
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