Yusuf Ebiti
Access Bank Plc, by way of its W Initiative, has partnered with the Project Management Institute (PMI) to develop Nigerian girls’s entry to globally recognised mission administration certifications.
The initiative comes in opposition to the backdrop of persistent gender disparities in Nigeria’s formal non-public sector. McKinsey’s Women within the Workplace 2025: India, Nigeria, and Kenya report discovered that though girls account for round half of Nigeria’s workforce, they occupy just one in three entry-level positions within the formal non-public sector. The disparity can be evident in mission administration, the place males globally outnumber girls by three to one, in accordance to PMI’s The State of Women in Project Management (2023) report.
At the identical time, demand for expert mission professionals continues to rise. According to PMI’s Global Talent Gap report, Nigeria may require up to 211,000 further mission professionals by 2035 to meet rising demand and substitute these leaving the workforce. Across sub-Saharan Africa, demand is projected to enhance by up to 75 per cent, reaching 4.6 million professionals by 2035. Expanding girls’s entry to mission administration alternatives will help tackle this expertise hole whereas selling better gender inclusion within the occupation.
The W Initiative is Access Bank’s flagship platform for ladies’s empowerment, offering entry to loans and credit score amenities, capacity-building and mentorship programmes, and the W Community, which affords monetary and enterprise advisory help and life-style advantages. The partnership with PMI extends these choices to girls’s skilled growth by making globally recognised mission administration certifications extra reasonably priced.
Under the partnership, eligible girls can get pleasure from a 25 per cent low cost on the examination charges for PMI’s Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) and Project Management Professional (PMP) certifications. Participating PMI Authorised Training Partners are additionally providing reductions of up to 50 per cent on examination preparation programs till December 2026.
Commenting on the partnership, Managing Director, PMI Sub-Saharan Africa, George Asamani mentioned: “Nigeria needs more professionals with the skills to deliver projects successfully, and women have an important role to play in meeting this demand. Through our partnership with Access Bank, women at different stages of their careers can acquire recognised project management certifications, strengthen their professional capabilities and contribute to the projects shaping Nigeria’s future.”
Project administration abilities are related throughout a number of sectors, together with banking, expertise, healthcare, building, vitality and agriculture. From implementing digital options and delivering infrastructure to increasing companies, organisations want professionals who can lead groups, handle dangers and translate plans into outcomes. These transferable abilities additionally create alternatives for professionals to construct careers throughout industries.
The CAPM certification is designed for people trying to start a profession in mission administration and doesn’t require prior mission administration expertise, though candidates should meet the relevant training and coaching necessities. The PMP certification is meant for knowledgeable professionals and validates their mission administration experience, strengthening their skilled credentials and positioning them for additional profession alternatives.
Head, Women Banking Team, Access Bank Plc, Nene Kunle-Ogunlusi, mentioned: “Supporting women’s financial ambitions also means helping them invest in their professional growth and earning potential. Through the W Initiative, we are committed to connecting women with opportunities that support their aspirations. Our partnership with PMI is another step towards achieving this goal by making globally recognised project management certifications more affordable and accessible to women.”
The provide is on the market to current Access Bank prospects and ladies who open new accounts with the financial institution. To qualify, candidates will need to have an energetic Access Bank account and a W Debit Card, full the programme’s registration and verification course of, and meet PMI’s eligibility necessities for his or her chosen certification.
Through this partnership, Access Bank and PMI reaffirm their dedication to increasing girls’s entry to skilled growth alternatives, strengthening the mission administration expertise pool and supporting girls to thrive in a rising and more and more aggressive economic system.
