Africa must address the current manpower shortage in project management for capacity building for growth, the Project Management Institute’s Talent Gap Report has stated.
According to the report, there is an increase in the number of jobs requiring project management skills, especially in developing and emerging countries.
“In Sub-Saharan Africa, annual job openings are estimated to be shy of 87,000 between 2019 and 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 Industrialization Day.
As one of the panelists, the Managing Director of PMI, Sub-Saharan Africa, George Asamani, reiterated the need for more certified project managers in Africa and proffered solutions to bridge the manpower 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,” Asamani stated.
Asamani noted that for effective capacity building, mentorship and knowledge transfer were key strategies.
“An approach involving collaborations and engagement with other public and private organisations and institutions is another important strategy that can promote capacity building and bridge the skills gap, further strengthening Africa’s industrialisation efforts.
“Many of us are already on this path, but we must be faster. How do we do this? To cover a wide spectrum of society, we partner with governments, companies, and educational institutions to drive capacity building,” Asamani added.
He stressed the importance of capacity building and fostering innovation and creativity, which were critical drivers of industrialisation, as they address contemporary needs and lay the foundation for a resilient future.
Also, the Chief Knowledge Officer of 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,” Adoko said.
Also speaking, the Interim Chief Executive Officer of the Industrial Development Corporation of South Africa, David Jarvis, 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.
“The focus should be on opportunities and project management’s catalytic role in unleashing industrialisation across the continent. Project management is key to delivery for any organisation operating in the real economy.”
He stated that project management can be the driving force propelling the continent towards a brighter, more industrious future.
“Emphasising the crucial necessity for targeted capacity-building initiatives requires champions and championing,” Jarvis added.
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