Yusuf Ebiti
Access Bank Plc, by means of its W Initiative, has partnered with the Project Management Institute (PMI) to develop Nigerian girls’s entry to globally recognised undertaking administration certifications.
The initiative comes in opposition to the backdrop of persistent gender disparities in Nigeria’s formal personal 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 personal sector. The disparity can be evident in undertaking 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 undertaking professionals continues to rise. According to PMI’s Global Talent Gap report, Nigeria might require up to 211,000 extra undertaking 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 undertaking administration alternatives can assist deal with this expertise hole whereas selling better gender inclusion within the occupation.
The Initiative is Access Bank’s flagship platform for girls’s empowerment, offering entry to loans and credit score services, capacity-building and mentorship programmes, and the W Community, which provides monetary and enterprise advisory assist and life-style advantages. The partnership with PMI extends these choices to girls’s skilled improvement by making globally recognised undertaking administration certifications extra inexpensive.
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 stated: “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, know-how, healthcare, building, power 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 undertaking administration and doesn’t require prior undertaking administration expertise, though candidates should meet the relevant training and coaching necessities. The PMP certification is meant for knowledgeable professionals and validates their undertaking administration experience, strengthening their skilled credentials and positioning them for additional profession alternatives.
Head, Women Banking Team, Access Bank Plc, Nene Kunle-Ogunlusi, stated: “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 accessible to present Access Bank prospects and girls who open new accounts with the financial institution. To qualify, candidates should 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 improvement alternatives, strengthening the undertaking administration expertise pool and supporting girls to thrive in a rising and more and more aggressive financial system.
