The Chartered Institute of Project Managers of Nigeria (CIPMN) on Monday issued a final warning to the Project Management Institute (PMI) over the continuous breach of accreditation.
Registrar General and Chief Executive Officer of CIPMN, Mr. Henry Ifeanyi Mbadiwe, speaking at a press briefing in Abuja, urged project management training and consulting organisations to, as a matter of urgency, obtain the requisite licensing and accreditation or face the full wrath of the law.
He stated that everyone in Nigeria who has completed PMI certificate training or obtained certification from any other issuing body must be certified by CIPMN in accordance with the law in order to practice as a project manager in the country.
“This is the final call I am making to PMI Nigeria and other project management training or consulting organisations in Nigeria—do not break the law. We will utilise the instruments available to us to seal off and pursue those who violate the laws establishing CIPMN. Do not allow your members or staff to continue to break the law. CIPMN will enforce this law on those who violate it. It is an offence to lead any project without the CIPMN license. Nigeria is not a lawless country. Our National Assembly exists for a reason, the law enforcement agencies and our judicial system exist for a reason, and our presidency exists for a reason.”
Mbadiwe cited legal provisions backing the institute’s actions. He noted that Section 15(1a) of the Act establishing CIPMN states that the Council may approve any qualification for the purposes of the Act and approve any course of training of an approved institution intended for those seeking to become or who are already project management professionals. Such courses must be considered by the Council to confer sufficient knowledge and skills for admission into the institute.
It also allows for the approval of qualifications granted following examinations taken in conjunction with council-approved training, provided the candidates meet a specific standard indicating sufficient knowledge and skills to practice project management.
Section 21(1) empowers the Council to make rules for the training of registered members or suitable persons in project management, as well as for the supervision, regulation, engagement, and training of such individuals. Subsection 1(f) further empowers the Council to restrict the right to practice for holders of foreign qualifications that do not entitle them to practice in Nigeria unless they are licensed by the Institute.
He also referenced Section 8 of the Act, which states that project management professionals from abroad who reside in Nigeria and wish to practice must register with the Institute within 12 months after the commencement of the Act.
Section 9A adds that a person shall not be entitled to be appointed or engaged to head any project management role in an organisation unless he or she is duly registered as a member of the Institute, qualified by examination or approved award.
Section 7 requires the Council to publish, from time to time, in the Federal Government Gazette, the qualifications accepted for registration. Section 19(2) further states that any person who, after the commencement of the Act, is not a member of the Institute but practices project management or holds themselves out as such for reward—whether salary, pay, or recognition—commits an offence. Section 20(1) mandates that any regulation made under the Act must be published in the Federal Government Gazette and a copy forwarded to the Minister of Commerce (FMITI) at least seven days before publication.
Mr. Mbadiwe concluded by stressing that Nigeria is a country governed by laws and, in line with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, CIPMN will continue to carry out its legally mandated duties to regulate the project management profession for the benefit of the nation, its legal framework, and its people.
