World Bank lauds certification rollout

• Urges strong verification systems

The World Bank has applauded the commencement of professional certification examinations by the Sustainable Procurement, Environmental and Social Standards Enhancement (SPESSE) Environmental Node.

The Bank described the certification examination as a major step forward for the project.

The Bank said the development represented a significant milestone, signalling SPESSE’s progression from theoretical capacity development to the practical application of standards-based certification.

It explained that the certification exercise was one of the key outcomes of the recent Implementation Support Mission on the SPESSE Project, which took place between November and December 2025.

During the Mission, a World Bank delegation paid a targeted visit to the SPESSE Environmental Node, hosted by the Environmental Assessment Department of the Federal Ministry of Environment.

Receiving the delegation on behalf of the Environmental Node, the Director of the Environmental Assessment Department at the Federal Ministry of Environment, Mrs Rofikat Odetoro, reaffirmed the Department’s resolve to develop certification systems under SPESSE that are credible, transparent and institutionally sustainable.

The World Bank Task Team Leader, Mr Ishtiak Siddiqe, while commending the Environmental Node for launching certification activities, cautioned that the success of the initiative should not be judged solely by the number of certificates issued.

He said the long-term relevance of the programme would rest on the credibility, governance and verifiability of the systems supporting the certification process, particularly the National Environmental Standards Certification Programme (NESCP).

Siddiqe noted that verification goes beyond administrative procedures and forms the basis for confidence in SPESSE certifications among development partners, government institutions and the professional community.

“For the Environmental Node, this reinforces the need to align operational practices with the verification standards that underpin the credibility of the certification system,” he said.

The engagement, he added, was not a routine progress assessment but part of the World Bank’s broader effort to strengthen institutional frameworks capable of sustaining SPESSE outcomes beyond the lifespan of the project, rather than focusing only on completed activities.

Discussions during the visit placed strong emphasis on the independent verification framework embedded in SPESSE’s results-based financing model.

Members of the World Bank Task Team outlined the expectations, performance indicators and assessment methodologies that will shape future verification processes.

The World Bank’s engagement, the team noted, reinforces SPESSE’s overarching goal — not merely to enhance individual capacity, but to establish durable systems that uphold environmental and social standards long after the project ends.

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In response, the SPESSE Environmental Node Project Coordinator, Mr Hussain Shittu, disclosed that operational practices are being adjusted to meet these standards, with systems already in place to provide comprehensive digital records, clear audit trails and accessible participant information on the certification portal.

He added that the entire certification process — from application and screening to examinations and issuance — is administered through a digital platform designed to ensure consistency, transparency and traceability.