Civil servants in Nigeria are set to benefit from a new nationwide project management training initiative jointly launched by the Chartered Institute of Project Managers of Nigeria (CIPMN) and the Federal Ministry of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs.
The programme, unveiled during a ceremony in Abuja led by CIPMN’s Registrar General and Chief Executive Officer, Henry Ifeanyi Mbadiwe, will see civil servants across all 774 local government areas trained in modern project management skills. The training will begin with Permanent Secretaries at both federal and state levels before expanding to Directors and other civil service staff.
Dr Onwusoro Maduka Ihemelandu, the Permanent Secretary, described the partnership as “a game-changer for Nigeria’s public service.” He commented: “We can begin from the Federal Capital Territory and scale nationwide. Upskilling civil servants in project management will strengthen delivery, improve costing efficiency, and enhance accountability.”
He added that “poor project costing and weak quality assurance remain major obstacles to effective service delivery, citing Nigeria’s volatile economic environment as a key challenge. ‘Most of the problems we face in governance today come from weak project cost management. Prices fluctuate, quality assurance is often neglected, and many civil servants lack structured training in conceptualisation, monitoring, and evaluation. This initiative will help close those gaps.’”
Dr Ihemelandu also called on CIPMN to bring together key regulatory and professional bodies—including the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply Management, and the Bureau of Public Procurement—to ensure “harmonised standards and more effective project delivery.”
Mr Henry Ifeanyi Mbadiwe said that the conferment of a fellowship award on the Minister, Hon. Zaphaniah Jisalo, and on Dr Onwusoro Maduka Ihemelandu, marked the start of a deeper collaboration. “By accepting this fellowship, you take up a unique role in driving project management reforms in Nigeria. Together, we will ensure that project delivery remains at the forefront of governance, in line with the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda,” he said. He emphasised CIPMN’s ongoing commitment “to promoting professionalism, enforcing standards, and ensuring that project management is properly regulated across all sectors of the Nigerian economy.”
