NAIROBI, MARCH 18-Sub-Saharan Africa is on the cusp of a generational transformation.
Roads are being carved through previously inaccessible terrain, power grids are being extended to millions of homes, and digital infrastructure is stitching together economies that were once isolated by geography.
The ambition is staggering. But according to a new report released this week by the Project Management Institute (PMI), ambition alone will not be enough — not if the continent cannot find, train, and retain the professionals needed to deliver on it.
The report, part of PMI’s Global Project Management Talent Gap series, identifies Sub-Saharan Africa as the region with the highest projected growth in demand for construction project professionals worldwide.
The numbers are striking: demand is set to grow from roughly 260,000 professionals in 2025 to more than 410,000 by 2035 — a 57% surge that outpaces every other region on the planet. Yet supply is not keeping pace.
The result: a shortfall of nearly 150,000 qualified professionals, a gap that, if left unaddressed, could undermine decades of investment and ambition.
“construction sits at the heart of the region’s development ambitions. from transport corridors and energy infrastructure to housing, healthcare, and digital connectivity, projects are the vehicles through which we build our future. but without the right project management capabilities, we risk delays, cost overruns, rework, and, ultimately, lost value.”
— George Asamani, managing director, PMI Sub-Saharan africa
The Infrastructure Backdrop: PIDA and the $360 Billion Question
At the centre of this story is the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA), the continent-wide initiative designed to close critical infrastructure gaps by 2040 through more than 400 priority projects spanning energy, transport, ICT, and transboundary water systems. With over $360 billion committed, PIDA is not just a list of projects — it is a blueprint for Africa’s economic integration, industrialisation, and long-term growth.
The scale of the ambition is matched only by the complexity of its delivery.
Infrastructure projects in Sub-Saharan Africa involve one of the most intricate stakeholder ecosystems of any industry: governments, regulators, private contractors, international financiers, local communities, environmental bodies, and development partners — all with competing priorities, timelines, and expectations.
Misalignment among these groups, the PMI report warns, is not merely a theoretical risk. It is a recurring, costly reality.
Global ContextThe talent challenge is not unique to Africa. PMI estimates that nearly 2.5 million additional construction project professionals will be needed worldwide by 2035.
Globally, demand for all project talent could grow by 64% over the same period — with Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and China leading the surge.
The Paradox at the Heart of Construction
PMI’s report surfaces a paradox that will be familiar to anyone who has worked in African development: construction is simultaneously one of the most powerful engines of economic growth and one of the most inefficient sectors of the economy.
It creates jobs, builds wealth, and connects communities — yet it consistently bleeds resources through delays, rework, and poor coordination.
PMI data shows that approximately 10% of global project investment is lost annually due to poor performance.
In a region deploying hundreds of billions into infrastructure, that figure is not a rounding error. It is billions of dollars in unrealised roads, hospitals, and power lines — value that never reaches the communities it was intended to serve.
“Construction is highly visible and deeply scrutinised,” notes Asamani. “Every bridge, hospital, or power plant carries public expectations. When projects go wrong, the impact is felt not just financially, but socially and politically.”
The Skills Gap: More Than Just Numbers
It would be tempting to reduce the talent gap to a headcount problem — simply hire 150,000 more people and the crisis is solved.
But PMI’s research makes clear that the challenge is qualitative as much as quantitative. Employers across the region report critical shortfalls not just in staff numbers but in the specific competencies that determine whether a project succeeds or fails.
On the technical side, shortages are concentrated in scheduling, planning, and resource optimisation — the foundational disciplines of project delivery.
On the human side, the gaps are equally significant: communication, collaborative leadership, and stakeholder engagement are cited as persistent weaknesses, creating the misalignments that turn manageable delays into expensive disasters.
Ethiopia offers perhaps the starkest illustration of the demand surge. PMI projects annual demand growth for construction project professionals in Ethiopia at 7.8% — among the highest rates anywhere in the world — reflecting the country’s extraordinary pace of infrastructure expansion and the corresponding urgency of closing the skills gap.
Technology as Lever, Not Silver Bullet
The PMI report points to digitalisation as one of the most promising tools for unlocking efficiency across Africa’s construction sector.
Building Information Modelling (BIM), digital twins, and artificial intelligence are identified as critical levers to improve transparency, reduce costly rework, and optimise resource deployment across complex, multi-stakeholder projects.
Yet the report is careful not to overstate the case. Construction in Sub-Saharan Africa has historically lagged behind other industries in technology adoption — a gap that will not be closed by purchasing software alone.
The effective use of these tools requires project professionals who are trained to interpret their outputs, integrate them into decision-making, and manage the human change that digitalisation invariably demands.
The Sustainability Imperative
Infrastructure financing in 2026 looks fundamentally different from a decade ago. International funders — multilateral development banks, sovereign wealth funds, and impact investors — are increasingly tying capital to ESG standards, carbon management, and responsible procurement practices.
This shift creates a new category of demand: project leaders who can integrate sustainability considerations into delivery from the earliest stages of design, not treat them as an afterthought at commissioning.
For a region whose infrastructure needs are inseparable from its climate vulnerabilities, this is not merely a compliance exercise.
It is an opportunity to build infrastructure that is not only transformative but resilient — designed to withstand the pressures of a changing climate while meeting the expectations of the global financial community.
A Call to Action
PMI’s conclusions are clear: closing the construction talent gap requires more than accelerated recruitment.
It demands a deliberate, long-term strategy to retain, develop, and elevate project professionals — through improved working conditions, sustained investment in professional development, and structured career pathways that create visibility and opportunity for emerging and mid-career practitioners alike.
Specialised credentials — such as PMI’s Construction Professional certification (PMI-CP) — are part of the answer, equipping practitioners with the tools to manage the growing complexity of modern infrastructure projects.
But credentials alone are not sufficient.
What is needed is a cultural shift: a recognition, at every level of government, business, and civil society, that the people who plan and manage projects are not overhead — they are the critical infrastructure beneath the infrastructure.
Africa’s buildings will only be as strong as the professionals who deliver them. The continent’s infrastructure ambitions have never been more clearly articulated. The clock is ticking on the talent to match them.
“IF WE WANT INFRASTRUCTURE TO BE A TRUE ENGINE OF GDP GROWTH, WE MUST PROFESSIONALISE THE WAY WE DELIVER IT.”
— George Asamani, Managing Director, PMI Sub-Saharan Africa
Skills Most in Demand
- Project scheduling & planning
- Resource optimisation
- Stakeholder engagement
- Collaborative leadership
- Communication
- BIM & digital tools
- ESG & sustainability integration
- Carbon & procurement management
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