Africa must harness and leverage its vast resources of human and natural resources for sustainable growth, the Project Management Institute has said.
According to PMI’s Talent Gap Report, an increase in the number of jobs requiring project management skills is particularly prevalent in developing and emerging countries.
“In Sub-Saharan Africa, annual job openings are estimated to be shy of 87,000 between 2019-2030. Therefore, countries in the region must work towards addressing the shortage of skilled project managers and unlocking the continent’s full industrial potential through a strategic focus on capacity building.
“Among other issues, the shortage of talent and skills was a central talking point during a webinar hosted by PMI to mark Africa Industrialisation Day. As one of the panelists, the Managing Director, PMI, Sub-Saharan Africa, George Asamani, reiterated the need for more certified project managers in Africa and proffered solutions to bridge this gap.
“According to the World Bank Human Capital Index, many African countries are among those with the lowest levels of skill development. This is reflected in our statistics as well, which show that, annually, only 3,000 people in Sub-saharan Africa, on average, get project management certifications. The numbers in North America and China stand at 30,000 and 100,000, respectively. It is evident that Africa has a huge skill deficit.”
“Just as we invest in factories and infrastructure, we must also invest in human capital and capacity building for a strong and sustainable economy,” stressing the need for organisations to invest in project management expertise.
Another member of the panel, Chief Knowledge Officer at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Centre, Dr Moses Adoko, made a case for a culture that unleashes the innovative and creative potential of young professionals as a strategic investment in capacity building.
“African governments should promote a culture that unleashes young African professionals’ innovative and creative potential through incentives, policies, and regulations. For instance, educational systems across Africa must rewire the youth to think of challenges as opportunities.”
Interim CEO of the Industrial Development Corporation of South Africa, David Jarvis, echoed similar thoughts in his keynote address.
He said: “Industrial development is key to Africa’s present and future and promises to contribute to poverty eradication by creating employment and fostering wealth creation. As opportunities increase, improved project delivery will drive Africa’s growth.”
