The Federal Government has raised concerns over the growing number of abandoned projects across the country, estimating their value at about ₦17 trillion and warning that poor project management continues to undermine national development.
The Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Chris Osa Isokpunwu, raised the concern at the Third Annual Conference, Eighth Induction Ceremony and International Project Management Day celebration organised by the Chartered Institute of Project Managers of Nigeria (CIPMN) in Abuja.
Isokpunwu also referenced concerns raised by the House of Representatives over abandoned federal government projects estimated at more than ₦20 trillion, describing the figures as evidence of the country’s persistent project implementation challenges.
He said the abandoned projects represented lost opportunities for economic growth and improved living conditions for Nigerians.
“These are not merely statistics. These represent hospitals that never opened, schools that never welcomed students, roads that never connected communities, and power projects that never met a single goal,” he said.
The Permanent Secretary stressed that effective project management was essential to achieving the Federal Government’s ambition of building a $1 trillion economy.
He explained that government policies and industrial strategies could only deliver meaningful results when translated into functional infrastructure, operational factories and measurable economic outcomes.
“Policies alone do not build economies. Projects do. Industrial strategies remain aspirations until they are translated into physical infrastructure, operational factories, functional systems, and measurable outcomes,” he said.
Isokpunwu urged CIPMN to strengthen professional standards across the public and private sectors, insisting that only licensed and certified professionals should be allowed to manage projects in Nigeria.
“The institute must ensure that only licensed and certified professionals manage projects in Nigeria, whether in the public or private sector. This is not merely a regulatory requirement; it is a national economic imperative,” he said.
He also assured the institute of the ministry’s continued support, saying, “I assure you, you are doing the right thing. The ministry will stand with you and stand by you.”
Earlier, the Registrar-General and Chief Executive Officer of CIPMN, Mr. Henry Ifeanyi Mbadiwe, said the law establishing the institute empowered it to regulate the project management profession and ensure accountability in project delivery.
He identified poor planning as a major factor responsible for project failures, delays and waste of resources, stressing that professional project managers were needed to coordinate experts, identify risks and ensure projects were completed within stipulated timelines and budgets.
“The amount of waste we see in projects today in Nigeria is not because you don’t have engineers or because you don’t have architects. It’s because that vital role is being missed,” Mbadiwe said.
He disclosed that the institute had developed a 17-module licensing structure to equip professionals with the knowledge and skills required to manage projects effectively.
According to him, the first set of licensed project managers would graduate on Thursday, marking a major step towards strengthening professional regulation in the country.
Mbadiwe also disclosed that CIPMN had digitised its membership, training, examination and licensing processes, allowing prospective members to complete the entire process electronically.
He said, “CIPMN is the first professional regulatory body to digitalise all of its processes in less than two years of being established.”
Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary of the Service Policies and Strategies Office (SPSO), Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Dr. Ishiyaku Musa Mohammed, said professional project management was critical to translating government policies, plans and public investments into tangible development outcomes.
“Project management is essential to translating policies, plans and public investment into results that improve lives,” Mohammed said.
He disclosed that 38 federal ministries and five extra-ministerial departments had digitised their processes as part of efforts to improve efficiency and productivity in the civil service.
He explained that the introduction of the Enterprise Content Management System had improved official document processing by enabling officers to monitor the movement of files and identify delays.
Mohammed added that the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation was open to collaborating with CIPMN to strengthen the capacity and productivity of federal civil servants.
He urged newly inducted members of the institute to uphold professional ethics, integrity and accountability, stressing that their induction carried responsibilities beyond membership.
The conference, themed “Project Management: A Catalyst for Nigeria’s Industrial Transformation,” brought together government officials, project management professionals and other stakeholders to discuss the role of professional project management in national development.