The University of South Africa (Unisa) Graduate School of Business Leadership’s (SBL’s) first-ever professor extraordinaire for supply and value chain management in Africa Professor Douglas Boateng has been appointed independent chairperson of the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) by Ghana President Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo-Addo.

Boateng, a South Africa-based Ghanaian, will be performing a nonexecutive supervisory role at the PPA to help transform and reposition the organisation in support of Ghana’s long-term industrialisation and socioeconomic developmental agenda.

He is also the founder and CEO of vertical-specific human capital development organisation PanAvest International and Partners.

Boateng, who is further recognised as one of the leading thinkers on vertical-specific global strategic procurement, emerging world industrialisation governance, and logistics and industrial engineering in the context of supply and value chain management, has assured he will assist the Ghanaian government to use supply chain thinking to improve and grow Ghana, as well as the region’s industrialisation endeavours.

Supply chain management and, in particular, procurement strategies are increasingly becoming influential in informing and ensuring successful industrialisation and socioeconomic development initiatives in Africa and worldwide, said Boateng.

Unisa SBL, meanwhile, expressed its pride at Boateng’s appointment.

“His experiences on the global stage and his understanding of, among others, the procurement, logistics, manufacturing and production aspects of supply chain management in a developing economy context will be instrumental in assisting the Ghanaian government to achieve the country’s long-term strategic objectives,” Unisa SBL executive dean Dr Renosi Mokate noted in a press statement on Monday.

Supply chain management is key to the long-term success of all public and private sector organisations and the future industrialisation of South Africa, as well as the rest of the African continent, according to SBL.

Mokate highlighted that Boateng is one of the leading drivers at SBL to improve specialist skills in supply chain management, noting that, through the hard work and dedication of Boateng and other SBL academics, the school has a public and private sector contingent engaged with its Master of Business Leadership and Master of Business Administration programmes, as well as the executive education programmes at SBL.

“Boateng’s commitment to the professionalisation of supply chain management in general and procurement in particular is being acknowledged and affirmed by this appointment,” SBL supply chain management senior lecturer Ozias Ncube added.