ABUJA 鈥 The Chartered Institute of Project Managers of Nigeria (CIPMN) has inaugurated a digital registration and certification verification platform.
According to the Registrar-General of CIPMN, Mr Henry Mbadiwe, it is aimed at strengthening professional standards and regulatory enforcement in Nigeria鈥檚 project management space.
Mbadiwe said this at the closing of the Institute鈥檚 2025 Mid-Year Training Programme and Induction in Abuja.
He said the institute had phased out manual registration and now operated a secure, digital-only process for onboarding new members and verifying all issued certificates and licences.
鈥淲e no longer accept paper registrations. Every registration with CIPMN must now be processed through our online portal.
鈥淓very certificate and licence issued is digitally secured and instantly verifiable through QR code scanning.
鈥淥nce a project manager presents a certificate or licence, it can be verified on the spot using a smartphone. The system searches the CIPMN database and confirms the authenticity of the presented credentials,鈥 he said.
According to him, this technological upgrade aligns with global best practices and enhances trust in the project management profession in Nigeria.
The CIPMN boss also confirmed that the system complies with Nigeria鈥檚 data protection laws, following consultations with the Data Protection Commission.
鈥淣one of the data displayed during verification breaches any legal framework. It鈥檚 a secure and transparent process that will foster public confidence,鈥 Mbadiwe said.
He stressed the importance of project management in driving national development, saying that it was the tool that translates strategies into actionable and measurable outcomes.
鈥淧roject management is not just for construction. Every initiative with a start and end date is a project.
鈥淲ithout trained and licenced project managers, we waste time and resources. Our report has shown that more than 17 trillion dollars is being lost to unstructured project delivery,鈥 he said.
Mbadiwe said the institute had begun enforcing compliance with its regulatory framework, warning that institutions or individuals managing projects without CIPMN licensure would face legal consequences.
鈥淲e are taking more decisive steps. This year, we will begin visiting non-compliant organisations.
鈥淎fter giving warnings, we will seek court orders to shut down sites or stop project execution. The law is clear, you must be licensed to deliver projects in Nigeria,鈥 he said.
The Registrar-General likened CIPMN鈥檚 role to that of other professional regulators such as the Medical and Dental Council or the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), noting that project management must now be treated with the same seriousness.
Mbadiwe also revealed that several public and private sector institutions were already complying, including Shell, NLNG, Lagos Business School, and MDAs such as PENCOM, ITF, SON, and the Ministry of Intergovernmental Affairs.
鈥淲e are collaborating closely with the Bureau of Public Procurement to ensure that only licensed project managers can bid for and manage government contracts.
鈥淣o agency, not even our supervisory ministry, can ignore this law,鈥 he said.
He then called for deeper collaboration across sectors to ensure full compliance and reduce project failure rates across Nigeria.
The President and Chairman of CIPMN Governing Council, Mr Emmanuel Afolayan, said the institute was determined to build an 鈥渁rmy of professionals鈥 equipped to manage projects across Nigeria with competence, discipline, and efficiency.
鈥淭he goal is to achieve desired results without compromising standards or quality. Project management is a critical tool for achieving economic transformation.
鈥漌ith proper training and licencing, professionals will be able to deliver value-driven projects that align with national goals.
An inductee, Mr Idehai Frederick, said the training had deepened his understanding of project management.