‘Insufficient qualified project managers put Africa at disadvantage in attracting investment, financing’

The Managing Director Sub Saharan Africa of Project Management Institute (PMI), George Asamani, has said that without a sufficient pool of qualified project managers to support infrastructure development, public-private partnerships, energy, and advances in Artificial Intelligence and digital transformation, African countries may face a competitive disadvantage in attracting investment and financing for development projects.

Asamani said this at the just concluded PMI 8th annual conference with a commitment to engage youth successfully in all aspects of their professional growth. The conference shed light on the rising leaders – the youth, who hold the promise of transforming the continent and creating the ‘Africa We Want’.

“To address this shortage, countries and organisations should invest in building the capacity of project managers through education, training, and certification programs. This includes supporting universities and institutions that offer project management courses and promoting continuous professional development for project management practitioners,” said Asamani.

According to the African Development Bank, Africa’s youth population is growing rapidly and will reach 850 million by 2050, and by 2063, young people will constitute half of the two billion working-age population.

At the conference, Asamani stated that: “The youth represent a significant human resource that can’t be ignored. Their energy, creativity, and potential can be harnessed for sustainable development, including addressing climate change. To empower African youth to be effective change makers, investments should be made in education, capacity building, and training in project management.”

The three-day conference consisted of keynote addresses, plenary sessions, roundtables and think tanks to brainstorm the emerging trends in the project management space.

In addition to the three-day event, a full-day PMI Africa Conference Youth Edition was also hosted at the University of Nairobi.

In an exciting announcement, PMI Africa Conference 2024 will stay in East Africa to be hosted together with the PMI Rwanda Chapter in Kigali, Rwanda.

The 2023 edition in Kenya attracted just under 900 delegates and students.