By Lucy Ogalue

The Chartered Institute of Project Managers of Nigeria (CIPMN) and the Federal Ministry of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs are partnering to strengthen the capacity of civil servants in project management.

The Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Dr Onwusoro Ihemelandu, said this when the CIPMN Registrar-General,  Henry Mbadiwe led his team to  the ministry on Wednesday in Abuja.

The visit was to confer a fellowship awards of the Chartered Institute of Project Managers of Nigeria on the Minister, Zaphaniah Jisalo and the Permanent Secretary.

The initiative is aimed at equipping public servants across the country with practical skills to improve project conception, implementation, monitoring and evaluation for better service delivery.

Speaking on behalf of the minister, Ihemelandu said that the training would equip and place civil servants on good stand by enhancing their capacity on project management and delivery.

“We can do project management upscaling across the 774 local government areas in Nigeria, but starting from the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

“The Permanent Secretaries at the Federal and states levels will be the first beneficiaries of the CIPMN training, followed by Directors, then every civil servant across the 774 local governments of Nigeria,” he said.

Ihemelandu said that the exercise would not only build capacity, but also address major challenges in project costing, monitoring and quality assurance of materials, which often hamper project delivery.

According to the permanent secretary, volatility in the naira and lack of adequate knowledge in cost management remain some of the issues undermining effective execution of projects.

He urged CIPMN to convene a stakeholders’ forum to engage Ministries, Departments, Agencies (MDAs) and professional bodies such as the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Nigerian Society of Engineers and Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP).

Earlier, Mbadiwe said that the partnership signalled a new phase in promoting professionalism in project management across Nigeria.

The CIPMN registrar-general stressed that the institute would continue to support the civil service in line with its mandate.

“By the presentation of this award, you are taking up that unique position to drive project management in Nigeria.

“And to ensure that project management in this ministry and Nigeria remain at the foremost of your thinking in delivering of any national initiative in this country.

“And to work collaboratively with CIPMN to ensure that its mandates are being carried out effectively and in accordance to the Renewed Hope Agenda of this country,” Mbadiwe said. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Francis Onyeukwu