The World Bank has commended the Sustainable Procurement, Environmental and Social Standards Enhancement, SPESSE, Environmental Node for commencing professional certification examinations.
The bank described the development as a critical milestone that marks the transition of the SPESSE Project from theoretical capacity building to standards-based certification in practice.
It noted that the certification exercise was a key outcome of the recently concluded Implementation Support Mission on the SPESSE Project, held between November and December 2025.
As part of the Mission, the World Bank delegation undertook a focused visit to the SPESSE Environmental Node, hosted by the Environmental Assessment Department of the Federal Ministry of Environment.
Director of the Environmental Assessment Department, Mrs Rofikat Adebunkola Odetoro, who received the Task Team on behalf of the Environmental Node, reaffirmed the Department’s commitment to building certification systems under SPESSE that are credible, transparent, and institutionally sustainable.
Speaking during the visit, the World Bank Task Team Leader, Mr Ishtiak Siddiqe, praised the Environmental Node for initiating certification activities but cautioned that success should not be measured merely by the volume of certificates issued.
He stressed that the long-term value of the programme would depend on the credibility, governance, and verifiability of the systems underpinning the certification process, particularly the National Environmental Standards Certification Programme, NESCP.
According to him, verification is not an administrative formality but the foundation upon which confidence in SPESSE certifications is built 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 went beyond a routine progress review, reflecting the World Bank’s deliberate focus on strengthening institutional systems capable of sustaining SPESSE outcomes beyond the life of the Project, rather than concentrating solely on completed activities.
Responding, the SPESSE Environmental Node Project Coordinator, Mr Hussain Shittu, explained that operational practices are being aligned with these standards, with systems in place to ensure comprehensive digital records, clear audit trails, and accessible participant data on the certification portal.
Shittu further noted that the entire certification process, from application and screening to examinations and issuance, is managed through a digital platform designed to promote consistency, transparency, and traceability.
Governance arrangements also featured prominently as the Task Team underscored the importance of formal certification approval structures, including certification boards and secretariats, to ensure institutional legitimacy.
The team acknowledged this requirement, disclosing that steps are being taken to align the Environmental Node’s certification governance with established practices across other SPESSE Nodes and relevant national institutions, in order to strengthen institutional ownership and public confidence.
On Additional Financing, it highlighted a strategic focus on Ministries, Departments, and Agencies with high concentrations of World Bank-funded projects, to ensure that SPESSE-certified professionals are deployed where development investments are most active, thereby improving project delivery, safeguards compliance, and institutional performance.
As SPESSE approaches project closure and potential additional financing, the experience of the Environmental Node underscores a key lesson: effective standards systems depend not only on training, but equally on strong governance, rigorous verification, and institutional discipline.
World Bank’s engagement reaffirmed SPESSE’s core objective, not just to build individual capacity, but to leave behind durable systems that uphold environmental and social standards long after the Project concludes.
Lateefah Ibrahim