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PMI Nigeria Expo 2022 Returns to Lagos & Abuja, Focuses on Improving Project Outcomes
The need to address lingering challenges in project management will be at the centre of discourse during the Project Management Institute (PMI) Nigeria Chapter Expo 2022.
L-R: Paul Omugbe, President, PMI Nigeria Chapter; George Asamani, Managing Director, Sub-Saharan Africa, Project Management Institute (PMI) and Joe Cahill, Chief Customer Officer (CCO), Project Management Institute (PMI) at the 7th annual PMI Africa Conference in Lagos.
Billed to speaker at the event are Anthony Okungbowa, Head of Service, Edo State, Precious Ajoonu, Managing Director, John Odigie Oyegun Public Service Academy, Edo State, Dr. Edmund Otaigbe, Group Head, Risk Management & Project Monitoring at Access Bank Plc, Katharina Felgenhauer, Delegate, Delegation of German Industry and Commerce in Nigeria, Ife Adebayo, Special Assistant to the President on Innovation (Office of the Vice President), and Adeola Akande, Transformation and Change Management Lead, Dangote Group amongst others will unpack the expo and conference theme, “Resolving project failure issues in public and private sectors”.
Several workshops and panel discussions have been planned to allow attendees to sharpen their skills by engaging with peers and industry experts. They will also serve as an avenue for professionals looking to advance their careers with sector specific certifications and a launchpad for changemakers seeking a career move.
In many parts of the world and Nigeria, post-Covid-19 recovery policy measures have featured investment in infrastructure projects. An International Monetary Fund (IMF) report published ahead of the G20 leaders meeting in 2020 argued synchronised infrastructure investment push could invigorate growth, limit scarring, and address climate goals. When many countries act simultaneously, public infrastructure investment could help lift growth domestically and abroad through trade linkages.
In Nigeria, the Federal Government has established the Infrastructure Corporation of Nigeria (InfraCorp) with a seed capital of N1 trillion. That said, research into Nigeria’s project landscape suggests that project delivery remains an ongoing concern. According to the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (NIQS), there exists a large quantum of uncompleted projects in Nigeria estimated at N12trillion. Moreover, the report also points to some 56,000 abandoned projects in all sectors across the country.
The IMF also found that countries waste about one-third of their infrastructure spending due to inefficiencies. Governments need robust frameworks to plan, allocate, and implement quality public infrastructure, it said.
“The success of large scale capital projects is dependent on how a project manager brings diverse and multi locational teams together. In the public sector, this is more pronounced as project managers must also deal with multiple stakeholders whose opinions can strongly influence the outcome. This creates an increasing need for developing competences (knowledge and most importantly power skills. The expo is a collaborative space to build bridges between private and public sectors, share learning and find solutions to problems associated with project failure”, says Emeka Unachukwu, Sales & Marketing Associate, PMI.
In Lagos on Nov 07 at the MUSON Centre and in Abuja on Nov 11, 2022, at Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Conference Centre, this gathering of project talents and stakeholders in the project economy will feature a conference, an exhibition as well as a career fair.
Paul Omugbe, PMI Nigeria Chapter President, says, “The event presents an enormous opportunity for professionals and changemakers to discuss and discover their next career move. If you have a specific career path you want to pursue and don’t know who to ask, you’ll find the PMI Nigeria Chapter volunteers helpful. If you want to pay forward, contribute to building the project management community, you can join the Nigeria chapter. “
“There is a need for governments and organisations to focus on appropriately planning and executing projects that can create business value, deliver benefits, and drive return on investment. To this end, the annual PMI Nigeria Chapter Expo is curated with your career goals in mind and deliver solutions, all under one roof.”
Attendees will receive certificates of participation, and souvenirs, earn 8 PDUs, enjoy opportunities for networking and be eligible for a raffle draw to receive free PMI Global membership and a membership discount code.
“There are many skillsets that go into delivering a return on infrastructure investment, project management being key as it enables delivery on time, within scope and budget. Given the impetus on infrastructure, there is no doubt that professionals in this field have a huge future ahead of them in Nigeria. PMI’s certifications are globally recognised, which makes the holder highly employable anywhere in the world, “adds Unachukwu
Th PMI Nigeria Chapter was formed in 2005 and has over 1,300 members. It has actively promoted the best practices in project management and standards in private industries-led projects as well as government-led projects.
Airtel Nigeria has secured a fresh 10-year renewal of its spectrum licence from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), reinforcing the telecom operator’s long-term commitment to expanding broadband connectivity and improving digital access across the country.
The renewed licence covers Airtel’s spectrum holdings, which are critical to the delivery of voice and high-speed data services, providing regulatory certainty for continued investments in network expansion, capacity upgrades and improved customer experience.
According to the company, the renewal underscores confidence in Nigeria’s telecommunications sector and will support its ongoing efforts to bridge the country’s digital divide by extending quality connectivity to more underserved communities.
Sunil Taldar, chief executive officer, Airtel Africa, said the renewal provides the company with the confidence to continue investing in Nigeria’s digital infrastructure.
He said, “The spectrum renewal reaffirms our long-term commitment to Nigeria, our largest market. It gives us the certainty required to continue investing in network expansion, improve service quality and accelerate digital inclusion for millions of Nigerians.”
Taldar added that Airtel remains focused on expanding broadband access and supporting Nigeria’s digital economy agenda through sustained investments in telecommunications infrastructure.
He further said, “We appreciate the Nigerian Communications Commission and the Federal Government for their continued support in creating an enabling environment for investment. We remain committed to delivering reliable and affordable connectivity while contributing to Nigeria’s socio-economic development.”
Meanwhile, Industry observers said the licence renewal removes regulatory uncertainty and allows Airtel to pursue long-term capital investments, including the expansion of 4G and 5G networks, as demand for mobile data and digital services continues to grow across Nigeria.
The renewal comes as telecom operators continue to invest heavily in broadband infrastructure to meet rising data consumption and support government efforts to achieve Universal digital access.
Furthermore, It also aligns with the NCC’s objective of ensuring efficient spectrum management while encouraging sustained private sector investment in the country’s telecommunications industry.
Telecom
GSMA Supports Abuja Declaration on Meaningful Connectivity for Africa, Joins Partners to Launch ATLAS Umoja
The GSMA supports the Abuja Ministerial Declaration on Meaningful Connectivity for Africa by Ministers and Heads of Delegation at the African Telecommunications Union (ATU) Conference of Plenipotentiaries (CPL-2026), describing it as an important milestone in strengthening Africa’s digital future through evidence-based policy, investment and regional collaboration.
The Declaration commits African governments to advancing policies that promote meaningful connectivity, digital inclusion, technology-neutral regulation, resilient digital infrastructure and locally relevant digital services. It also reinforces the importance of collaboration between governments, industry and development partners to close the continent’s connectivity and usage gaps.
Throughout the conference, the GSMA has worked alongside governments, regulators and industry leaders to support these shared ambitions through practical policy engagement, evidence-based research and new collaborative initiatives designed to accelerate Africa’s digital transformation.
Speaking during the ATU-GSMA African ICT Regulatory Leaders’ Forum, policymakers and regulators explored how stronger evidence-based regulation, greater regulatory harmonisation and future-ready policy frameworks can create an enabling environment for investment, innovation and sustainable digital growth across Africa. Drawing insights from the GSMA’s Digital Africa Index, participants also examined future-ready approaches to satellite regulation, highlighting how technology-neutral licensing frameworks can support innovation while extending connectivity to underserved communities.
Caroline Mbugua, Senior Director, Public Policy, Africa, GSMA, said: “The Abuja Ministerial Declaration sends an important signal that African governments share a common vision for delivering meaningful connectivity through modern, evidence-based and investment-friendly policy. Its emphasis on digital inclusion, technology-neutral regulation, resilient infrastructure and stronger regional collaboration reflects the practical policy foundations needed to accelerate Africa’s digital transformation.”
Launching ATLAS Umoja AI
Supporting the ambitions set out in the Abuja Declaration, the GSMA, Nigeria’s Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Togo’s Ministry of Digital Economy and Transformation, Kenya’s Ministry of information, Communications and the Digital Economy, Namibia’s Ministry of Information and Communication Technology, Benin’s Ministry of Digital Transformation and Innovation, Awarri, Zindi, Pawa AI and Mozisha today announced ATLAS Umoja AI –a new pan-African initiative to strengthen collaboration on African language AI.
Designed to complement national AI programmes, ATLAS Umoja will bring together governments, industry and researchers to share expertise, datasets and best practice, helping develop trusted, scalable AI that better reflects Africa’s languages, cultures and development priorities. The initiative aims to accelerate innovation, attract investment and scale African language AI across the continent.
The launch builds on the momentum of the newly established AI for Good Global Commission. Ministers from Nigeria, Namibia and Togo, who serve on the Commission, have committed to support Africa Umoja, demonstrating how African leaders are turning global ambitions for trusted and inclusive AI into practical regional collaboration.
Angela Wamola, Head of Africa, GSMA, said: “Africa’s AI future must reflect Africa’s own languages, communities and development priorities. ATLAS Umoja brings together governments, industry, researchers and innovators to build African language AI at scale. By making AI and digital services available in the languages people speak every day, the initiative will help tackle two of the biggest barriers to internet adoption – digital literacy and locally relevant content – supporting efforts to close Africa’s usage gap and expand meaningful connectivity across the continent.”
Dr. Bosun Tijani, Honourable Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy of Nigeria said:“Artificial Intelligence will be a defining technology for Africa’s future, but its benefits must be built on our own languages, cultures and knowledge systems. Nigeria is proud to have taken the first step through N-ATLAS and is equally proud to see that vision evolve into the continental ATLAS Umoja AI.
“By working together with governments, researchers and ecosystem partners across Africa, we can build AI that is more inclusive, locally relevant and accessible to millions of people, while strengthening Africa’s digital sovereignty and creating new opportunities for innovation, education and economic growth.”
Silas Adekunle, Founder & CEO, Awarri added: “Awarri is proud to support The ATLAS Umoja AI and contribute lessons from N-ATLAS, which has demonstrated what is possible when African language data, local technical talent and practical AI applications are brought together. This is an important opportunity to help build AI systems that work for African languages and communities.”
Celina Lee, CEO & Co-Founder, Zindi concluded: “Africa’s AI future will be built by the people who best understand its languages, cultures and communities. Through ATLAS Umoja AI, we have an opportunity to empower local researchers, data scientists and developers to solve meaningful challenges, strengthen national AI capabilities and ensure African language AI is developed by Africans, for Africans.”
Alongside the launch of ATLAS Umoja AI, the GSMA continued discussions with policymakers at the ATU Conference on future-ready regulatory frameworks, including satellite connectivity, spectrum policy and technology-neutral licensing.
Drawing on the GSMA Satellite Regulatory Playbook, discussions explored how modern regulation can encourage investment, expand meaningful connectivity and support the ambitions of the Abuja Declaration.
Together, the Abuja Declaration, ATLAS Umoja and continued collaboration between governments, regulators and industry represent an important step towards expanding meaningful connectivity, accelerating digital inclusion and supporting Africa’s digital transformation.
Samsung has unveiled its most advanced foldable smartphone lineup yet, the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, Galaxy Z Fold8, and Galaxy Z Flip8. The tech conglomerate now sets a new benchmark for premium mobile innovation.
Konga
Nigerian customers can now pre-order the new devices on Konga, Samsung’s trusted e-commerce partner, and stand a chance to receive Samsung gift items worth up to ₦1 million, making this one of the most rewarding smartphone launches of the year.
Designed for productivity, creativity, and everyday convenience, the new Galaxy Z series introduces Samsung’s most refined foldable experience to date.
The Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra combines an expansive display with AI-powered productivity, a powerful 200MP camera, an ultra-thin design, and enhanced durability for users who demand the very best.
The Galaxy Z Fold8 delivers immersive entertainment and seamless multitasking in a lighter, wider form factor, while the Galaxy Z Flip8 elevates self-expression with its sleek design, smarter FlexWindow, and intelligent Galaxy AI features for effortless interaction on the go. Powered by Samsung’s latest AI experiences, the new devices redefine how users create, communicate, and stay productive.
The availability of the new Galaxy Z Fold8 series on Konga further reinforces the long-standing partnership between Samsung and Konga, built on trust, authenticity, and a shared commitment to delivering genuine technology to Nigerian consumers. Through Samsung’s official store on Konga, customers are assured of authentic products, reliable after-sales support, and a seamless shopping experience.
The pre-order offer is available for a limited period. To be one of those who get to experience the new device, tech enthusiasts are encouraged to visit Konga’s Samsung Official Store to reserve their preferred Galaxy Z Fold8 or Z Flip8 device and qualify for exclusive Samsung gifts worth up to ₦1 million, while stocks last.
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