The Chartered Institute of Project Managers of Nigeria (CIPMN) has urged the Federal Government and other stakeholders to integrate health, safety and environmental (HSE) standards into every stage of project delivery to reduce accidents, protect lives and ensure sustainable national development.

Speaking at the 2026 National Health, Safety and Environment Conference in Abuja, the Registrar of the Institute Hajiya Hajara Yusuf said projects should no longer be judged successful solely by their completion but by their ability to safeguard lives, communities and the environment.

She said health, safety and environmental management should be embedded in project conception, planning, procurement, design, execution, monitoring and evaluation rather than being treated as a compliance requirement after projects have commenced.

According to her, projects that neglect safety, environmental sustainability and occupational health often result in avoidable accidents, injuries, environmental degradation, financial losses, litigation and reputational damage.

“No project should ever be considered successful if people are injured, communities are negatively affected or the environment is destroyed in the process of achieving its objectives,” he said.

The institute’s Registrar noted that Nigeria’s growing investments in infrastructure, transportation, housing, agriculture, healthcare, education, energy and digital transformation make it imperative to institutionalise HSE standards across all sectors.

She stated “Nigerians are not corrupt. Our problem are the gaps in system and processes. places where we’re thinking that government, they’re not doing their jobs, is absence of safety workers. So this is an employment opportunity for Nigerians. It’s also a way for us to correct an everyday thing. If there are people who check certain things and people who held responsible, and that is the exact essence of CIPM.”

She said the conference was aimed at promoting collaboration among policymakers, regulators, project managers, engineers, environmental experts and other professionals to develop practical recommendations for improving project delivery.

Also speaking, the Rector of Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Dr. Danjuma Ismaila, said integrating robust health, safety and environmental frameworks into project management was a moral obligation and critical to building a safe and resilient aviation sector.

The Rector who was represented by Dr Ishaya Akaba said NCAT’s partnership with the Chartered Institute of Project Managers of Nigeria reflected the shared commitment of both institutions to strengthening professional standards and promoting a strong safety culture.

Ismaila noted that NCAT recently received two International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) awards in Morocco for maintaining its Training Centre of Excellence Platinum Status for six consecutive years and for training the highest number of aviation professionals in West and Central Africa using ICAO training packages.

Delivering the keynote address, a United Kingdom-based health and safety expert, Dr. Pascal Oribhab called for stricter enforcement of health and safety regulations, stronger penalties for violations and greater investment in safety culture across public and private organisations.

He said Nigeria has adequate policies and regulations but lacks effective implementation, stressing that “good safety is good business.”

He urged organisations to empower safety professionals, strengthen inspections and audits, and encourage workers to report unsafe conditions without fear of victimisation.

The health and safety expert also advocated closer collaboration with the United Kingdom’s Health and Safety Executive to build the capacity of Nigerian professionals through training and exchange programmes.

According to him, investing in health and safety would reduce workplace accidents, improve productivity, create employment opportunities and protect businesses from avoidable financial losses.