By Olayinka Ajayi

In its bid to address the challenge of raising productivity, the Centre for Public Service Productivity and Development ,CeProd, has announced a major professional development initiative aimed at producing a new generation of Certified Productivity Professionals ,CPPs,.

In a statement, Director General ,CeProd, Dr Chris Egbu noted that the Centre is set to conduct its Certified Productivity Professional ,CPP, Professional Examination in October 2026, offering professionals across the public and private sectors an opportunity to acquire specialised knowledge and practical skills in productivity management, organisational performance, digital transformation, performance measurement and business growth.

According to Egbu,”The examination is scheduled for October 24, 2026 and will be conducted online, with registration currently open.

“The programme is designed around a fundamental principle: productivity is not simply about getting more work done, but about improving the way people, processes, resources and technology work together to achieve better results.
A response to Nigeria’s productivity challenge
Our initiative comes against the backdrop of an alarming decline in productivity in Africa’s national economies, particularly in the public sector, with consequential effects on the quality of life.”

Egbu stressed that improving national productivity requires more than government policies and investment in infrastructure. “It also requires professionals who understand how to identify inefficiencies, measure performance, improve processes, manage resources and lead organisational change.
“The programme has consequently been structured to bridge the gap between academic or professional qualifications and the practical productivity competencies required in today’s workplace.

“The programme is designed to help participants strengthen productivity knowledge and apply it to real organisational situations, positioning them to contribute more effectively to efficiency, organisational performance and growth.

“Skills employers increasingly need unlike conventional programmes that concentrate on a single professional discipline, the CPP curriculum cuts across several areas that directly affect organisational performance.

“Participants will study 14 core productivity and organisational development areas, including:
Staff productivity and employee performance improvement
Performance measurement and Key Performance Indicators ,KPIs,
setting productive standards, targets and growth milestones
Flexible and technology-enabled working organisational knowledge management
technology and growth strategies
digital business marketing
cash-flow and liquidity management
personal productivity and time management
Organisational efficiency and process improvement
Negotiation and supplier relationship management
Succession planning
Professional ethics and productivity
The role of productivity professionals in organisational development.
“These areas reflect some of the critical challenges confronting organisations today—how to get more value from employees, improve processes, manage costs, use technology effectively, retain organisational knowledge and prepare businesses for sustainable growth.
Who should take the certification?

“The programme is not restricted to one profession or industry.
It is designed for managers and supervisors, entrepreneurs and business owners, human resource professionals, administrative professionals, team leaders, consultants, project managers, public and private sector professionals, business executives, organisational development professionals and individuals seeking career development.
This broad target audience reflects the Centre’s belief that productivity is a responsibility that cuts across virtually every profession and sector of the economy.
For a manager, for example, the knowledge can support better staff performance and KPI management. For an entrepreneur, it can strengthen business processes, cash-flow management and growth strategies. For a public servant, it can support efficiency and improved service delivery. For a consultant, it can provide additional tools for helping organisations diagnose and solve productivity problems.
CeProd has adopted a particularly relevant message for the programme:
“Don’t simply aim to be busy. Learn to be productive. Learn to measure performance. Learn to drive results.”
The message captures a growing concern in organisations globally—that employee activity does not necessarily translate into productivity or results.
“The CPP programme therefore emphasises the ability to identify inefficiencies, improve processes and contribute to better organisational outcomes, rather than simply accumulating knowledge or professional credentials.
CeProd: Building productive people and productive organisations
The Centre for Public Service Productivity and Development says its focus is on productivity enhancement, professional development and organisational performance.
Through its training and membership programmes, CeProd seeks to provide individuals and organisations with knowledge and strategies that can support improved productivity, efficiency and performance.
A professional investment in Nigeria’s future
As Nigeria seeks to increase economic output, improve public-sector performance, strengthen businesses and create a more competitive workforce, productivity has become an issue that cannot be left solely to economists and policymakers.

“Every organisation ultimately depends on people who can set meaningful targets, measure performance, eliminate waste, improve processes, manage resources, embrace technology and lead change.

“It is in this context that CeProd is positioning the CPP as more than another professional examination, but as a pathway towards developing practitioners who can contribute directly to productivity improvement in Nigerian organisations and the world at large.”