The Centre of Excellence in Sustainable Procurement, Environmental and Social Standards (FUTO) marked a milestone in its history as the 1st International Conference on Procurement, Environmental and Social Standards (ICPES 2024) successfully concluded on November 15, 2024.
Themed “Key to a Sustainable Livelihood in the 21st Century,” the five-day event hosted at the Gender Building, FUTO, brought together academics, policymakers, and industry experts from across the globe.
Opening Ceremony Highlights
The conference commenced with a colorful opening ceremony graced by Her Excellency, Lady Chinyere Ihuoma Ekomaru, PhD, Deputy Governor of Imo State, represented by Mr. John Njoku, Principal Secretary to the Deputy Governor. Lady Ekomaru commended the organizers and emphasized the significance of procurement and environmental standards in achieving sustainable development.
The Vice-Chancellor of FUTO, Prof. Mrs. Nnenna N. Oti, represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academics), Prof. Emma C. Esenwa, described the conference as a groundbreaking event, reiterating FUTO’s commitment to advancing academic and societal progress.
Earlier on the occasion, the Host of the ICPES 2024, Engr. Prof. Mrs. Gloria A. Chukwudebe, informed the participants that she was impressed that a conference, which was conceived barely a few months back, came into reality. Prof. Chukwudebe, who is the pioneer and incumbent Leader of the FUTO CE-sPESS, took time to present the background and journey-so-far of the Centre to the gathering.
Keynote and Presentations
The keynote address was delivered by Prof. Francis C. Eze, who highlighted the transformative potential of integrating emerging technologies like the Internet of Things (IoT) and Machine Learning (ML) in procurement processes.
Interactive Panel Discussions
A key feature of the conference was a dynamic panel discussion with representatives from leading stakeholders in the SPESSE Project, who provided actionable insights into sustainable procurement and environmental standards.