CIPMN To Lead Nationwide Project Reform Stakeholder Talks 2026

The Chartered Institute of Project Managers of Nigeria (CIPMN) has revealed a nationwide stakeholder engagement in the first quarter of 2026, aimed at standardising project management practice and eliminating unlicensed project management across Nigeria.

Speaking at the closing ceremony of the Institute’s induction and project management conference in Abuja, the registrar-general Mr Henry Mbadiwe, said the engagement will bring together federal and state governments, private sector operators, regulators, educators, and development partners to ensure full compliance with the CIPMN Act.

“Sometime in the first quarter of next year we’re going to have a stakeholder. We’ll be inviting stakeholders from all over the country, federal level, state level, private sectors, departments, agencies, all of the partners, governmental partners,” he said.

He added that the initiative will serve as a platform for discussion on implementing regulations and professional licensing for project management practitioners across both public and private sectors.

“We want to sit down and discuss about CIPMN. We want to discuss about project management regulations in Nigeria. Whether you teach project management in Nigeria, practice project management, or consult either in the public space or in the private space, we’ll be inviting stakeholders to come together, sit with us, and let’s have that conversation about how to ensure that we regulate the project management sector in Nigeria for the benefit of every Nigerian,” he added.

The registrar-general said the three-day policy dialogue confirmed that stakeholders now understood that professional licensing is mandatory.

“One thing that is becoming clear to stakeholders in this country is that the CIPMN Act is here to stay. CIPMN is here to stay and CIPMN means business when it talks about regulating the practice of project managers,” he said.

He warned that unlicensed and unqualified individuals will no longer be allowed to lead projects in Nigeria.

“We cannot have quacks leading projects in Nigeria anymore. Even if they’ve gotten their training and certification from outside the country, the Act says that these individuals must be licensed by CIPMN to practice,” he stated.

The engagement will also address systemic inefficiencies that have led to abandoned projects and cost overruns, which the World Bank estimates at over $4 billion annually.

“A lot of that is not due to inflation. A lot of that is due to poor planning, bad change management, bad risk management,”
the registrar-general said.
According to Mbadiwe, structured regulation, licensing, and monitoring under CIPMN will help align stakeholders, improve compliance, and reduce waste.

“We are standardising the practice. We are standardising the learning of project management within Nigeria. These practices will result in less abandoned projects, less waste in project delivery, proper delivery of projects, and giving value for money,” he stated.

The registrar-general added that the stakeholder engagement will support the emergence of a new generation of licensed project managers capable of delivering value to the Nigerian public.

“The only thing that can build a nation are the people, the professionals within the country. Those who are licensed to deliver projects will be experienced and there will be less waste. Definitely, that money we are saving from all of the wastages can go into developing different parts of the country,” he further stated.