FG Tightens Project Oversight With Digital Licensing Tool

Nigeria’s project management regulator,  Chartered Institute of Project Managers of Nigeria (CIPMN) has begun tightening oversight of infrastructure and development projects with the launch of a digital licensing and verification system aimed at enforcing standards nationwide.

The institute said the new platform eliminates manual registration and enables real-time authentication of project managers’ certificates and licenses using QR code scanning.

“We no longer accept paper registrations,” said registrar-general Henry Mbadiwe at the close of CIPMN’s 2025 Mid-Year Training Programme in Abuja. “Every certificate is now digitally secured and instantly verifiable. The system searches our database to confirm authenticity on the spot.”

Mbadiwe said the initiative complies with Nigeria’s data protection laws and aligns with international best practices. He added that enforcement is underway, warning that the institute will begin site visits to non-compliant organisations and may seek court orders to stop projects led by unlicensed individuals.

“The law is clear: you must be licensed to deliver projects in Nigeria,” he said. “We will shut down sites if necessary.”

Mbadiwe said more than $17 trillion is lost globally each year to poor project delivery and stressed the importance of professionalising project management to improve outcomes in Nigeria.

“Project management is not just for construction,” he said. “It’s how national strategy becomes measurable execution.”

He said CIPMN is collaborating with the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) to ensure that only licensed professionals can bid for and manage government-funded projects. He cited growing compliance by Shell, NLNG, Lagos Business School, and agencies such as PENCOM, ITF, SON, and the Ministry of Intergovernmental Affairs.

“No agency — not even our supervisory ministry — is exempt,” he said.

CIPMN president Emmanuel Afolayan said the institute is building “an army of professionals” to drive disciplined, standards-based project delivery across the country.

“With proper licensing and training, professionals will deliver projects that meet national goals,” he said.