By Felix Khanoba
The World Bank has applauded the commencement of professional certification examinations by the Sustainable Procurement, Environmental and Social Standards Enhancement (SPESSE) Environmental Node, describing the development as a major step forward for the project.
According to the Bank, the move represents 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 Adebunkola 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).
Mr 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.
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.
Governance issues were also central to the discussions, as the Task Team highlighted the need for formal certification approval structures, including certification boards and secretariats, to enhance institutional legitimacy.
The team acknowledged this requirement, noting that steps are underway to align the Environmental Node’s certification governance with practices adopted across other SPESSE Nodes and relevant national institutions, with the aim of strengthening institutional ownership and public confidence.
Beyond certification mechanics, the discussions also linked SPESSE deliverables to wider development outcomes.
On Additional Financing, the Task Team pointed to a strategic focus on Ministries, Departments and Agencies with significant World Bank-funded project portfolios, to ensure that SPESSE-certified professionals are deployed where development investments are most concentrated, thereby improving project delivery, safeguards compliance and institutional performance.
As SPESSE nears project closure and considers potential additional financing, the experience of the Environmental Node highlights a central lesson: effective standards systems rely not only on training, but also on robust governance, rigorous verification and institutional discipline.
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.
