Section 1: Establishment of the Chartered Institute of Professional Staff of Nigeria

(1) There is established the Chartered Institute of Professional Secretarial Staff of Nigeria (in this Act referred to as "the Institute") which –
(a) shall be a body corporate with perpetual succession and a common seal, to be kept in such custody as the Council may direct;
(b) may sue and be sued in its corporate name; and
(c) may, subject to the Land Use Act, acquire, hold and dispose of any property, movable or immovable; [Cap. L5, LFN, 2004]
(2) The Institute shall have the general duty of –
(a) determining the standards of knowledge, skills and qualifications of persons seeking to become professional secretarial staff and raising those standards as determined by circumstances;
(b) securing in accordance with the provisions of this Act, the establishment and maintenance of a register of members of the Institute and publication of lists of persons and organisations contained in the register;
(c) conducting, encouraging and sponsoring research in the field of secretarial practice, office information technology management including publishing and disseminating same;
(d) organising and conducting professional examinations for secretarial practitioners and office information technology management in Nigeria;
(e) maintaining and upholding the ethics of professional secretarial practice;
(f) regulating professional secretarial practice in Nigeria;
(g) administering professional examinations in secretarial practice;
(h) collaborating with other reputable examination and professional bodies and educational institutions in the field of secretarial administration or office information technology management;
(i) providing continuous education in secretarial practice and office information technology management; and
(j) bringing together in unity and cohesion all professional secretarial staff and office information technology managers in Nigeria in line with the provisions of this Act.
(3) Subject to the provisions of this Act, persons or organisations admitted into the Institute shall be enrolled in the categories of –
(a) Fellows -FCPS;
(b) Honorary fellows - FCPS (HON);
(c) Members - MCPS;
(d) Associates - ACPS;
(e) Graduates;
(f) Affiliates; and
(g) Students.
(4) A person accorded any of the status in subsection (3) by the Council under this Act, shall be entitled to the use of the appropriate designatory letters as approved by the Council.
(5) A person admitted under this Act shall be enrolled as a –
(a) Fellow - FCPS if –
(i) at the commencement of this Act, he was at least 40 years of age and had been a Fellow of the Association of Professional Secretarial Staff of Nigeria, incorporated under the Companies and Allied Matters Act (in this Act referred to as "the Association"), and
(ii) he possesses such qualities, qualifications and has achieved such degree of attainment in secretarial practice as prescribed by the appropriate authority and has spent between 15 to 20 years in the grade of an individual member;
[Act No. 3, 2020]
(b) Honourary Fellow- FCPS (HON), if –
(i) at the commencement of this Act, he was an Honorary Fellow of the Association,
(ii) has contributed immensely to the development and upliftment of the profession in or outside Nigeria, and
(iii) has been found to be a fit and proper person to be conferred Honourary Fellowship by the Council;
(c) Member MCPS, if he –
(i) at the commencement of this Act, was a member of the Association, or is found by the Council to possess adequate knowledge and skills of the profession and has spent the number of years as determined by the Council in secretarial practice,
(ii) passed the relevant examinations prescribed, recognised or accepted by the Institute and has acquired a minimum of five years relevant working experience in the field of secretarial practice in any reputable organisation or government establishment,
(iii) acquired a university first degree, doctorate or professorial, higher national diploma, or its equivalent in the field of secretarial administration, office information technology management from any government approved institution of higher learning, and
(iv) has a minimum of five years post qualification working experience or as an Associate of the Institute;
(d) Associate — ACPS, if he –
(i) at the commencement of this Act, was an Associate of the Association,
(ii) possesses qualifications which, in the opinion of the Council are adequate,
(iii) passed the relevant examinations prescribed, recognised or accepted by the Institute and has at least five years relevant working experience in the field of secretarial practice in any reputable organisation or government establishment, and
(iv) acquired a university first degree, doctorate or professorial, higher national diploma, or its equivalent in the field of secretarial administration, office information technology management from any government approved institution of higher learning;
(e) Graduate, if he –
(i) has attained 21 years of age, passed examinations prescribed, recognised or accepted by the Institute and has a minimum of three years working experience in core secretarial practice or profession,
(ii) has acquired a minimum national diploma, national certificate of education or their equivalent from any recognised institution of learning,
(ii) possesses other qualifications acceptable to the Council, and
(iii) satisfies the requirements for admission to the grade of a Graduate member stipulated in the rules made under this Act;
(f) Affiliate, if he –
(i) at the commencement of this Act, was an Affiliate of the Association, or is a student of an institution of higher learning recognised by the Council, and
(ii) possesses qualifications acceptable to the Council; and
(g) Student, if he is a student in an institution of higher learning recognised by the Council.
(6) The Board shall have power to consider, approve and confer honorary membership of the Institute on persons of outstanding qualities and achievements in the industry and other areas of human endeavour including education, commerce and the awardees' contribution to the development of the Institute.
(7) The award conferred under subsection (6) shall not confer professional membership status or the right to vote in the affairs of the Institute on the awardees.
(8) The Board shall have the power to approve the award to a corporate body of the Institute's corporate membership status and the award shall entitle the recipient to the rights and obligations of only one member.