By Lucy Ogalue
The Chartered Institute of Project Managers of Nigeria (CIPMN) has inducted about 500 new project managers , marking a significant step toward enhancing professional standards in project delivery across the nation.
The Registrar of CIPMN, Mr Henry Mbadiwe, said this at the ongoing 2024 Annual Project Management Conference, Induction, and Annual General Meeting in Abuja on Wednesday.
Mbadiwe also reiterated plans by the institute to clamp down on unlicensed project managers nationwide from January 2025.
While stressing the importance of certification and licensing in the practice of project management, he said that the law establishing the Institute required all practitioners to be licensed.
“We are working hard to ensure that the law is obeyed. From January 2025, individuals managing projects without a CIPMN license will face enforcement actions.
“Institutions and associations involved in teaching or training project managers must also comply with the law by obtaining the necessary licenses,” he said.
Mbadiwe restated the importance of skilled and certified practitioners, saying that project management is integral to every sector.
He said that to ensure value for money and reduce abandoned projects, practitioners must have the requisite training and certification.
The registrar expressed satisfaction with the induction of 500 new members, but acknowledged that the number was still small compared to Nigeria’s population.
He said that since the new CIPMN council took office less than two years ago, about 1,000 individuals had been inducted and licensed.
“In collaboration with the National Universities Commission (NUC), CIPMN has also introduced a curriculum to standardise project management education in Nigerian universities.
“Similarly, the institute is partnering with the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) to establish the country’s first project management standards, with a technical committee already in place.
“Harmonisinsing project management practices in Nigeria, we aim to provide hands-on training for practitioners to deliver quality projects. This will reduce abandoned projects and wasted resources,” Mbadiwe said.
The registrar announced the Institute’s plan to expand its membership to 5,000 in the next two years.
He called on government agencies and private sector players to ensure that their project managers were trained, certified, and licensed.
“CIPMN, a regulatory body under the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Investment, reiterates its commitment to improving professional standards and ensuring accountability in project delivery across Nigeria,” he said.
NAN