Nairobi will host its inaugural Project Management Institute (PMI) conference from September 10th to 12th. is a professional organization for project management and is considered the authority for a global community of millions of project professionals and individuals who use project management skills.
The conference is highly anticipated and will be held at the Emara Ole Sereni Hotel. It aims to showcase Africa’s project economy, reflect on the community’s shared values, and highlight the extraordinary work of project professionals. This year’s theme, “Africa We Want: Together We Can,” will focus on the first decade of Agenda 2063 and the skills transformation required to enhance project design and implementation.
The conference will bring together over 50 speakers and 400 delegates from 24 countries. Decision-makers, thought leaders, academicians, and changemakers will discuss the flagship projects and programmes of Agenda 2063, such as the integrated high-speed train network, the Grand Inga dam, and the Pan-African e-network. These projects require skilled project management to accelerate economic growth and development on the continent.
George Asamani, MD, PMI, sub-Saharan Africa, said, “Project management is crucial to one of the first and biggest flagship projects on the anvil, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), as it can only succeed with adequate infrastructure.” According to McKinsey, infrastructure projects in the region fail 80% of the time during the feasibility and business-planning stage. Project management is critical in ensuring projects achieve their strategic goals of supporting economic growth, generating jobs, and creating resilient infrastructure fit for purpose.
The conference will address skills transformation, youth empowerment, women in project management sustainability, and accelerating infrastructure development, all of which are central to Africa’s economic growth. The conference will also present great opportunity to those of us in th project, program, and portfolio management to share best practices, earn professional development units (PDUs), network, and explore new trends and innovations in the field.
Jeane Mathenge, President of PMI Kenya Chapter, said, “The time could not be more fitting to host the PMI Africa Conference in Kenya.” She highlighted the exponential growth in the number of project professionals since 2020 and the successful launch of Taifa 1, a project in science and technology that contributes to Kenya’s socioeconomic development and global standing.
The conference aims to create an enabling environment for project management professionals to learn how African changemakers and project professionals are seizing growth opportunities. Asamani concluded, “It is evident that Africa needs not only investment and projects but also more knowledge to move projects from paper to prosperity.” The full line-up of speakers will be announced in the coming weeks.