By Adebayo ​‌‍‍​‌‍⁠⁠‍‌⁠⁠​⁠‌‌‍‌​Gbeja

The Chartered Institute of Project Managers of Nigeria (CIPMN), has appealed to the Federal Government for a take-off grant to establish licencing structures across the six geopolitical zones.

Registrar-General and Chief Executive Officer of the CIPMN, Mr Henry Mbadiwe, made the appeal on Thursday at the 8th Induction and Conference of the institute in Abuja, held to commemorate the International Project Management Day.

Mbadiwe said the grant, to be channelled through the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, would enable the institute to expand its operations nationwide and make professional licencing accessible to Nigerians.

The registrar-general said the institute planned to establish its presence across the six geopolitical zones in 2027 to ensure that aspiring project managers outside Abuja and Lagos were not excluded from professional licencing.

He said without a take-off grant, it would be difficult for the institute to expand its operations at the required pace.

Mbadiwe said CIPMN, barely three years into operation, was simultaneously developing professional training modules, establishing licensing standards, registering members and building its administrative structures.

He explained that the institute was also developing the knowledge and training models required to equip licensed project managers with the necessary professional skills.

He revealed that the CIPMN had been generating revenue through membership registration, training programmes and collaborations with Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), although it had yet to receive direct financial support from the Federal Government.

He emphasised that compulsory licencing of project managers was a statutory responsibility and not an arbitrary decision by the institute.

The CIPMN boss also said that the institute was the only regulatory body for project managers in Nigeria, with the legal mandate to regulate the profession and ensure that practitioners met the required standards.

He added that the institute was responsible for accrediting project management training programmes, including those offered by Nigerian universities.

He noted that the federal government participation in the conference demonstrated the importance attached to regulating project management in the country.

He cited the Director-General of the Bureau of Public Procurement as saying that organisations seeking procurement approval for projects must engage licenced project managers.

The registrar-general emphasised that expanding the institute’s presence nationwide would help build human capacity in project management and improve project delivery.

In his remarks, the Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Sen. John Enoh, reaffirmed the federal government’s commitment to making professional project management central to Nigeria’s industrial transformation.

Enoh, represented by the Deputy Director of ICT in the ministry, Chikeze Owen, said project managers must obtain valid CIPMN licences in line with the institute’s statutory mandate.

He said professional project management was critical to achieving President Bola Tinubu’s ambition of transforming Nigeria into a one-trillion-dollar economy by 2030.

The minister said competent project managers were essential to controlling costs, managing risks and ensuring timely delivery of projects supporting industrial development.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the conference had the theme, “Project Management: Catalyst for Nigeria’s Industrial Transformation.” (NAN)

Edited by Deborah Coker