Yusuf Ebiti
Access Bank Plc, by way of its W Initiative, has partnered with the Project Management Institute (PMI) to increase Nigerian ladies’s entry to globally recognised venture 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 ladies 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 also be evident in venture administration, the place males globally outnumber ladies 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 venture professionals continues to rise. According to PMI’s Global Talent Gap report, Nigeria might require up to 211,000 further venture professionals by 2035 to meet rising demand and exchange these leaving the workforce. Across sub-Saharan Africa, demand is projected to improve by up to 75 per cent, reaching 4.6 million professionals by 2035. Expanding ladies’s entry to venture administration alternatives may also help deal with this expertise hole whereas selling higher gender inclusion within the career.
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 affords monetary and enterprise advisory assist and life-style advantages. The partnership with PMI extends these choices to ladies’s skilled growth by making globally recognised venture administration certifications extra reasonably priced.
Under the partnership, eligible ladies 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, development, 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 venture administration and doesn’t require prior venture administration expertise, though candidates should meet the relevant schooling and coaching necessities. The PMP certification is meant for skilled professionals and validates their venture 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 supply is accessible to current Access Bank clients 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 ladies’s entry to skilled growth alternatives, strengthening the venture administration expertise pool and supporting ladies to thrive in a rising and more and more aggressive financial system.
