PMI sub-Saharan Africa managing director George Asamani /BRIAN OTIENOAlmost half the technical skills employers used to want in their organisations will become obsolete in the next five years.
This is because of artificial intelligence (AI), which continues to change how organisations operate.
This calls for a shift in the preparation of the future workforce, especially among the youth.
Project Management Institute (PMI) sub-Saharan Africa managing director George Asamani said on Friday that AI continues to change the workplace, automating tasks, transforming established ways of working and forcing a rethink of the skills employers need.
“As technology takes on more tasks and new tools emerge, technical skills are becoming outdated more quickly, with roughly half potentially obsolete within five years,” Asamani said.
“For project professionals, the urgency to diversify their skill sets beyond technical knowledge has never been greater.”
He spoke during the introduction of a refreshed Project Management Professional (PMP) certification exam in Nairobi on Friday, as part of the certification’s evolution alongside the profession and the changing demands placed on project professionals.
“We regularly refresh the exam to ensure it continues to reflect how project professionals work, the challenges they face, and the capabilities organisations expect from them. The 2026 refresh is part of that ongoing evolution,” Asamani said.
Organisations increasingly need project professionals who can contribute beyond managing scope, schedules and budgets, according to PMI research into project success.
The research points to a broader expectation — project managers should understand business priorities, take accountability for outcomes and take greater ownership of whether projects deliver value.
The research argues that organisations should see them less as administrators and more as business partners.
As AI increasingly becomes part of life, which may potentially lead to job losses, organisations also increasingly look for workers who can deliver results in a shorter time.
“PMI research shows 35 per cent of CEOs identify a disconnect between planning and execution as their top barrier to reinvention, closely followed by the failure to continuously upgrade talent for the future at 34 per cent,” Asamani said.
“Organisations need project professionals who can close that gap — people who understand what the business is trying to achieve and have the skills to turn those priorities into successful projects.”
These changing expectations come at a time when demand for project professionals is also rising.
Organisations globally will require up to 30 million additional project professionals by 2035, as businesses and governments undertake increasingly complex transformation, infrastructure, technology and organisational change programmes.
For Africa, where projects will play a central role across sectors that drive economic growth, building a workforce with strong project delivery capabilities is particularly important.
“By 2050, Africa is expected to account for 85 per cent of the growth in the world’s working-age population. Our opportunity is not to compete with AI, but to ensure that this growing workforce has the skills to harness it,” Asamani said.
He said the PMP certification is designed to validate those capabilities, helping project professionals remain globally competitive and equipping them to deliver the projects that will shape the continent’s future.
“As technology continues to change how projects are planned and delivered, the PMP reflects a broader reality for the profession — tools will continue to evolve, but sound judgment, leadership, adaptability and the ability to deliver outcomes will remain critical,” Asamani said.
Instant Analysis:
AI in the workplace involves using smart technologies to automate tasks, write content and help people make better choices. The use of AI tools is becoming an essential part of an organisation’s operations as the world becomes more competitive.
