Unauthorised Project Managers Risk Jail Terms as CIPMN Enforces Licensing Law
The Chartered Institute of Project Managers of Nigeria has announced plans to begin strict enforcement of its licensing law, cautioning that individuals and organisations practising project management without formal authorisation risk prosecution and a possible two-year jail term.
At an event in Abuja marking the 2025 International Project Management Day, Registrar-General of the Institute, Henry Mbadiwe, said the CIPMN Act No. 3 of 2018 grants the body full regulatory powers similar to those exercised by professional councils in the medical field.
He noted that the law makes it a criminal offence for anyone to practise project management without a CIPMN licence, adding that employers who engage unlicensed practitioners are equally liable.
“The Act is clear. If a person manages a project without a licence, they have committed an offence. If an organisation hires such a person, the organisation becomes complicit,” he said.
Mbadiwe said the enforcement framework will focus on accountability rather than punishment, stressing that officials would identify the personnel behind each project before applying sanctions.
He added that the Institute had already deployed a fully digital licensing system, allowing instant online verification of project managers. All certificates now carry QR codes for real-time authentication.
He also revealed the rollout of a Customer Relationship Management system to track members’ activities and monitor project outcomes nationwide.
According to him, the only delay in full enforcement has been the difficulty in recruiting a suitable Head of Enforcement. “We have the systems ready. What remains is getting the right person to lead the process,” he said.
Reviewing recent milestones, Mbadiwe said the Institute had developed a 12-module national curriculum for licensing and a university-level curriculum for academic programmes in project management.
He explained that CIPMN operates without federal subvention and continues to expand through internally generated revenue, noting that membership now includes about 1,200 licensed professionals and 3,600 associate members.
The Registrar-General said the Institute intends to raise performance standards nationwide, arguing that Nigeria loses resources to poorly managed projects even when they reach completion.
He urged professionals and institutions to embrace agile processes and reduce bureaucratic constraints that contribute to failures and cost overruns.
Mbadiwe added that effective project management remains a central pillar of national development. He said the day’s celebration serves as a reminder that infrastructure, education, health and technology projects all depend on competent project leadership to deliver sustainable results.
