The Chartered Institute of Project Managers of Nigeria has raised concerns about the growing financial waste caused by projects that require corrective work or adjustments after commissioning. Institute Registrar‑General Henry Mbadiwe warned that this trend drains public finances and threatens development planning. He cited a World Bank report estimating that $4 billion is lost globally each year to corrective work on newly completed projects and emphasized that weak regulation and the use of unlicensed personnel are at the heart of the problem.
Mbadiwe noted that Nigeria is still grappling with an estimated N17 trillion worth of abandoned projects, according to national audit reports. While the project management profession is still developing in the country, he stressed the need for licensed professionals to manage projects. Project failures requiring reconstruction after commissioning are not new in Nigeria; several instances have been reported where delivered projects needed emergency fixes or full redesigns within months due to structural defects, poor‑quality materials, or non‑compliance with specifications. A recent example is the reconstruction work at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, which began a few years after earlier rehabilitation efforts. The Federal Executive Council has approved over N900 billion for aviation projects, including the rehabilitation of Terminal One, and Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development Festus Keyamo defended the project as necessary to replace decaying infrastructure and expand capacity.
The institute warned that the law now criminalizes the management of any project without a valid license. It is admitting a new cohort of licensed project managers and has established an enforcement team to verify compliance. The team will visit project sites to ensure that only licensed professionals are managing projects. Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Special Duties and Inter‑Governmental Affairs Onwusoro Maduka described standardized project management as a “national governance necessity,” warning that poor coordination across the three tiers of government weakens development outcomes. He argued for a National Project Management Framework that includes mandatory licensing and induction for all project officers, annual recertification, and standardized monitoring templates.
Adopting a uniform national procedure is crucial for the successful implementation of the National Development Plan 2021‑2025, the Renewed Hope Agenda, and the Sustainable Development Goals. The Chartered Institute of Project Managers of Nigeria’s efforts to regulate the project management space and ensure that only licensed professionals manage projects represent significant steps toward reducing financial waste and promoting development in Nigeria.
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