Broadcasting
Furera Isma Jumare, Florence Chikezie, Ayanda More, others Join the Lineup of Speakers for PMI’s Africa Conference
Project Management Institute (PMI), the world’s leading association for project professionals, has announced its lineup of speakers to include Furera Isma Jumare, Director-General, Jigawa State Investment Promotion Agency; Florence Chikezie, Founder, ReDahlia & Entrepreneurs.ng, Eloy Young Entrepreneur Award; Ayanda More, Founder & CEO, Apara Global Africa; and Ananth Natarajan, CEO, Cybereum for its Africa Conference set to return to an in-person format for the first time since the pandemic.
Now in its seventh year, the 2022 edition is themed Sustainable Growth for Social Good: Connecting Ideas, People and Projects. The conference will bring over 400 delegates from across the continent to discuss how to optimise the delivery of Africa’s development and business transformation projects.
Florence Chikezie
Conference delegates will meet and hear from some of the most influential people shaping Africa’s future. Among the growing list of confirmed speakers are Joseph Cahill, Chief Customer Officer, PMI; David Pilling, Africa Editor, Financial Times; Henry Coco-Bassey, Music NFT pioneer; Daneil Yu, Founder & CEO, Wasoko; Chikezie Nwosu, CEO, Waltersmith Petroman Oil; Ebo Richardson, Group Director, Transformation & Enterprise Programmes, Equity Group; and Simi Nwogugu, CEO, JA Africa.
This year’s agenda comprises a dynamic mix of lively panel discussions, keynote interviews, in-depth peer-to-peer conversations, inspiring talks, and plenty of networking opportunities. In addition, the Tony Elumelu Foundation will be hosting a ‘pop-up’ mentoring station. The event is open to senior business executives and those involved in the project economy keen to learn how changemakers and project professionals in Africa are seizing the region’s incredible growth opportunities.
Joseph Cahill
This year’s event places an emphasis on the importance of women, youth and education in Africa’s sustainable growth trajectory and will cover a wide range of topics, from new ways of working in the Metaverse and pioneering NFT projects, to spotlights on Africa’s emerging music, film, and tech industries.
George Asamani, Business Development Lead, Africa, PMI said, “The world has undergone some seismic shifts over the past two years and not one sector was left completely immune, including project management. The line-up of speakers reflects our view on how the profession will transform and how projects will be delivered across sectors that contribute majorly to the economy”.
“Necessity is the mother of all invention and now innovation. We are thrilled that the Africa Conference has grown in influence and is able to attract such an exceptional panel of speakers and at the same time drive the narrative around social good and sustainability forward. We look forward to sharing new learnings and perspectives with the PMI community as we look for ways to make ideas a reality.”
Taking place in partnership with the Financial Times, the PMI Africa Conference is one of the most highly anticipated gatherings of change leaders in project management, bringing rising leaders, lawmakers and businesses from across the continent under one roof for three days of lively discussion, community building and knowledge sharing.
The conference brings together captains of industry, government, and stakeholders from the project management sphere – project, programme, and portfolio managers with similar career goals to share best practices, earn professional development units (PDUs), meet like-minded professionals, learn and retain valuable skills and knowledge.
Furera Isma Jumare
Project Management Institute (PMI) is the leading professional association for project management and the authority for a growing global community of millions of project professionals and individuals who use project management skills. Collectively, these professionals and “changemakers” consistently create better outcomes for businesses, communities and society worldwide.
PMI empowers people to make ideas a reality. Through global advocacy, networking, collaboration, research, and education, PMI prepares organisations and individuals at every stage of their career journey to work smarter so they can drive success in a world of change.
Building on a proud legacy dating to 1969, PMI is a not-for-profit for-purpose organisation working in nearly every country around the world to advance careers, strengthen organisational success, and enable project professionals and changemakers with new skills and ways of working to maximise their impact. PMI offerings include globally recognized standards, certifications, online courses, thought leadership, tools, digital publications, and communities.
Mr. Tim Akano, New Horizons Chief Executive Officer, took centre stage at the Nigerian Information Technology Reporters’ Association (NITRA) annual end-of-year meeting on Thursday, December 18, 2025, recounting the company’s remarkable growth and reaffirming free IT training for journalists.
Tim Akano, New Horizons Chief Executive Officer, in a group photograph with NITRA Members
Speaking directly to IT media members at the company’s training facility in Lagos, Akano acknowledged the critical role journalists played in supporting New Horizons during its formative years two decades ago.
He detailed how the firm evolved from a handful of staff to one of Africa’s leading ICT skills training organisations, now employing about 500 staff across multiple training centres nationwide.
Akano Spotlights Youth Training, University Partnerships
Akano highlighted that New Horizons has trained over 500,000 youths, particularly tertiary institution students, equipping them with practical IT skills essential for Nigeria’s digital economy.
He announced recent partnerships with universities, including a new agreement with Afe Babalola University, to scale hands-on training programmes for students.
“This growth would not have been possible without the media’s support in documenting our journey,” Akano stated, pledging continued free IT skills training for media members to remain competitive in the evolving digital landscape.
Reciprocal Support Defines Long-Standing Partnership
The venue hosting the NITRA meeting underscored Akano’s generosity; NITRA Secretary Chidiebere Nwankwo secured the free facility after contacting him—a gesture consistent with New Horizons hosting multiple association events and training IT journalists since its inception 20 years ago.
Participants shared personal testimonies of Akano’s support, including veteran journalist Aaron Ukodie, whose daughter—an Accounting graduate from the University of Johannesburg—received NYSC placement and IT scholarship at New Horizons.
The Guardian’s Yemi Adeyemi recounted Akano accommodating his editor’s child for mandatory IT training after other firms declined.
Members praised Akano’s commitment to human capital development as evidence of deep appreciation for the media community that chronicled New Horizons’ success over two decades.
National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has launched the NIMC Pre-Enrolment Portal to revolutionise the National Identification Number (NIN) enrolment process, enabling applicants within Nigeria and in the Diaspora to capture biodata online prior to biometric verification at enrolment centres.
NIMC
Accessible via penrol.nimc.gov.ng, the platform allows users to fill enrolment forms, schedule appointments, upload supporting documents securely, and manage personal details directly, thereby slashing congestion, minimising wait times, boosting data accuracy and enhancing overall service efficiency at centres nationwide.
NIMC Director-General and CEO, Engr. (Dr) Abisoye Coker-Odusote, spearheaded the initiative as part of the Commission’s technology-driven strategy to fortify institutional performance, aligning with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda that emphasises digital transformation, efficient public service delivery and inclusive national development.
Dr Kayode Adegoke, Head of Corporate Communications, highlighted key benefits including simplified biodata handling, confidential data protection through robust security measures, reduced physical centre visits and heightened operational effectiveness, urging all prospective enrollees to adopt the portal for a faster, citizen-friendly experience.[conversation_history]
The move underscores NIMC’s mandate under the NIMC Act No. 23 of 2007 to manage the National Identity Database, issue NINs and foster a reliable digital identity ecosystem vital for national planning, with users advised to complete pre-enrolment online before heading to selected centres for biometrics.
MultiChoice Talent Factory (MTF), a Pan-African film and television training institution, has announced the opening of applications for its 2026 intake.
MultiChoice
The fully funded programme is open to African graduates aspiring to become directors, filmmakers, scriptwriters, producers and storytellers.
According to MultiChoice, the nine-month accredited curriculum combines online learning with intensive in-person training, and is designed to balance theoretical knowledge with practical immersion.
MTF academies are located in Kenya, Nigeria and Zambia, and serve aspiring filmmakers from 14 African countries. Since its inception in 2018, the initiative has trained 296 filmmakers, with graduates producing more than 42 movies aired on DStv, GOtv and Showmax platforms.
Organisers said alumni of the programme have gone on to establish over 50 production companies, while many continue to work within the MultiChoice ecosystem.
Graduates have also won accolades at the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards, Kalasha Awards, Uganda Film Festival and Women in Film Awards.
Applications for the 2026 intake close on Feb. 27, 2026. Interested candidates can visit https://apo-opa.co/3XW53oE for programme requirements.
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