By Gabriel Ameh
The Chartered Institute of Project Managers of Nigeria (CIPMN) has commenced full enforcement of its licensing regulations, warning that individuals and organisations engaging unlicensed project managers now risk severe penalties, including imprisonment.
The Registrar-General and Chief Executive Officer of CIPMN, Mr. Henry Mbadiwe, disclosed this on Tuesday in Abuja during the Institute’s June 2026 induction ceremony, where about 350 new members were formally admitted into the profession.
Mbadiwe said the Institute had concluded a three-year nationwide sensitisation campaign and was now transitioning into full regulatory enforcement and compliance monitoring across public and private sectors.
He stressed that under the CIPMN Act, it is mandatory for all professionals responsible for leading or executing projects in Nigeria to possess valid certification and licences issued by the Institute.
“You cannot hire anyone in the public or private sector to lead or deliver any new initiative or project in Nigeria if they are not licensed,” he said. “There is a two-year jail term stipulated in the Act for anyone delivering projects in Nigeria without a licence.”
He further warned that liability does not rest only on individuals, but also extends to organisations and senior executives who approve or engage unlicensed project managers.
According to him, the enforcement drive is aimed at addressing Nigeria’s persistent challenges of project failure, abandonment, and poor execution outcomes across sectors.
The induction ceremony, described as the Institute’s seventh, brought together nearly 350 inductees drawn from different professional cadres, including fellows, chartered members, and licensed practitioners.
Speaking on the theme, “Strategic Project Leadership in Complex Stakeholders’ Environment: Nigerian Context,” Mbadiwe attributed widespread project failures in the country to weak leadership structures and inadequate stakeholder engagement.
He urged project managers to go beyond technical execution and develop stronger capacity to manage Nigeria’s socio-political and cultural complexities in order to improve project success rates.
Also speaking at the event, the Chairman of the CIPMN Governing Council, Chief Olabode Emmanuel Afolayan, emphasised competence and adherence to professional standards as critical drivers of effective project delivery.
Afolayan noted that strict compliance with regulatory standards would enhance efficiency, reduce wastage, and ensure better value for public and private investments in project execution.
With the new enforcement phase, CIPMN says it is positioning itself to strengthen accountability, improve project outcomes, and sanitise the project management space in Nigeria.
