Experts and stakeholders in the project management ecosystem, said diversity, inclusion and collaboration are some of Africa’s leading catalysts for economic growth.
This was stated at the the 2022 Project Management Institute (PMI) Africa Conference held in Lagos.
The three-day event with the theme: ‘Sustainable Growth for Social Good: Connecting ideas, people and projects’ included roundtable dialogues, exhibition visits, networking opportunities and panelists’ sessions where front-burner issues and challenges in project management discussed.
The managing director, Sub Saharan Africa, PMI, George Asamani said, “Countries, companies and communities who succeed do so by applying the practice of project management. In the new normal, when the resources are stretched, project management becomes even more critical to maximise return on investment and deliver results.”
Founder of SHEngineers, and senior civil engineer, Innocentia Mahlangu, emphasised the need for organisations to reform their workplace policies to reflect diversity and inclusivity.
In her speech titled, ‘Boosting the role of women in Africa’s project economy’, she remarked that, like many technical professions, project management still remains male-dominated.
Citing an article she co-authored in Financial Times, she said, ‘By 2030, there will be a global demand for about 25 million project professionals.’
Reflecting the sentiments of UN Women, she pointed out that gender equality is one of the best ways of solving some of these 21st-century challenges.
“Women are not only more affected by these problems, but they have ideas and leadership to solve them. Gender discrimination which is still prevalent, not only holds too many women back but also the world. Inclusion is not only a human resource or company policy issue. It’s an opportunity for new ideas and leadership styles to emerge and solve our current challenges to make the world a better place.
“There are conscious biases and stereotypes which may hamper opportunities for women to take up careers in the project economy. Diverse teams and inclusive environments produce positive results. We must reflect the people we deliver projects for,” she said.
While speaking on the theme “Achieving Organizational Strategic Objectives Through Project Portfolio Management (PPM),” CEO iCentra, Taopheek Babayeju, identified bad execution as a leading cause of failure of many organisations and projects.stakeholders.
Also, president, PMI Nigeria chapter and business director, Astridia Global, Paul Omugbe, pointed out that, “as a project manager, you have to be able to deal with the changes both outside and within the project that you are working on. You have to be able to adapt to change in your environment.”
While mulling the ways of transforming challenges into opportunities, Partner, Empower, Ella Naiman, who is also the co-founder of Generation Empower and president PMI Tanzania Chapter, observed that the current world of work is complex and diverse, saying organisations need to be more inclusive, acquire people skills and manage varied perspectives.
Experts at the conference agreed that the government has a role to play in collaboration, noting that if a private company is successful in its project, it will improve the country’s economy.
