Projects In Public Sector Should Be Managed By Licensed Professionals, Says CIPMN 

The Chartered Institute of Project Managers of Nigeria (CIPMN) is concerned that government projects are being managed by directors who lack project management qualifications, resulting in inefficiencies in project delivery.

During an interview in Abuja, CIPMN’s Registrar/Chief Executive, Mr. Henry Ifeanyi Mbadiwe, emphasised the importance of project managers being licensed by the organisation before practicing.

“Everybody who manages or leads a project in Nigeria is required by the (CIPMN) Act to be CIPMN-licensed.

“You cannot manage a project in Nigeria if this institute does not license you; anyone in any MDA or private sector who is leading a project in Nigeria but is not licensed by CIPMN violates the Act that established this institute,” he stated.

The Institute is collaborating with the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) to ensure licenced project managers in Nigeria deliver contracts.

“CIPMN can ensure that a licenced project manager manages every project in this country and that all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) prioritise planning, risk management, and supply chain management in all of their activities in this country.

“If you do that, you will not see abandoned projects in Nigeria. It is as simple as that. “It is human capital, an individual’s skill sets,” he explained.

Mbadiwe added that the Institute is prepared to enforce the Act’s provisions, with full implementation set to begin next year.

“By 2024, we will begin enforcing the law and holding organisations accountable. “We will publicly call out agencies that do not comply with the Act,” he warned.

Mbadiwe mentioned that CIPMN had created a Core Curriculum Minimum Academic Standard (CCMAS) for project management in Nigerian universities and that the Institute had also launched a skills development programme for artisans through the Industrial Training Fund’s (ITF) SUPA programme.

Addressing previous controversies surrounding the Institute, Mbadiwe emphasised the legal dissolution of its former Governing Council and his reappointment as registrar of the institute.

He chastised the former President of CIPMN, Victoria Okoronkwo, and Vice President Jamilu Yakwashi, for retaining leadership positions despite a court ruling certifying their removal.

“The only legitimate CIPMN today is the result of the President’s actions in 2022 when he dissolved the self-appointed Council and appointed a single administrator to bring in new leadership,” he stated.

Mbadiwe also expressed CIPMN’s readiness to deliver the human capital development component of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

He stated that the Institute is already playing an important role in strengthening the human capital component of the Renewed Hope Agenda by expanding knowledge and skills.

According to him, “The Renewed Hope Agenda is not something you can complete in one year; that is simply the truth.” Human capital development is a key driver for this administration.