How PMI Is Driving Social Impact by Empowering Young People in Nigeria

Millions of young people across Nigeria are growing up with bold ideas, big ambitions, and a deep desire to shape their futures. But for many students, especially those navigating economic uncertainty, unequal access to education, or disability-related barriers, opportunities to build practical leadership and problem-solving skills remain out of reach.

That challenge inspired the PMI Nigeria Chapter, whose mission is to foster professional growth through project leadership, to bring project leadership skills directly to underserved youth in the community.

Through Project Management Institute Educational Foundation (PMIEF), Project Management Skills for Life® training, and partnerships with organizations like Africa Leadership Academy (ALA), chapter volunteers are bringing project management education directly into schools and communities, helping students build confidence, leadership and communication skills, and a stronger sense of agency over their futures. Project management is increasingly recognized as a critical life skill for social mobility, enabling individuals to plan, execute, and lead change in their communities.

What began as a grassroots volunteer effort has evolved into a growing youth impact initiative reaching over 400 students across Nigeria, with demand expanding.

“We realized that this was something we needed to take to our community,” said Adekemi Oyewusi, MBA, PMP, vice president of youth and social impact for the PMI Nigeria Chapter. “It wasn't because we don't have youths that can assimilate this. It's just that they didn't have access to it.”

How PMI Nigeria is bringing project management skills directly into communities

The chapter began introducing PMIEF’s Project Management Skills for Life® training directly into schools. Chapter members saw it as a universal life skill capable of helping students navigate uncertainty, think strategically, and lead with confidence.

“Project management is a life skill,” Adekemi said. “It is a fundamental.”

The initiative also aligned naturally with PMI’s commitment to social impact and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially around quality education, reduced inequalities, and youth empowerment.

Helping students build confidence, leadership, and real-world skills

Today, PMI Nigeria’s training sessions focus primarily on students ages 14 to 24, though the chapter remains flexible depending on school needs and student readiness.

Rather than teaching project management through lectures alone, volunteers create highly interactive experiences that make concepts relatable and memorable. “We ensure that it is an interactive training,” Adekemi said. “We do relatable exercises so that it's something memorable.”

Volunteers frequently divide students into groups, assign projects, and ask participants to present how they approached planning, risk management, and collaboration.

One concept that strongly resonates with students is stakeholder management.

“When you let them know that even their parent is a stakeholder, it kind of sounds funny,” Adekemi said. “You're letting them know that their dad is a stakeholder. You have to know how to manage your dad. You have to be able to speak your dad's language.”

Students quickly begin connecting project management concepts to their everyday lives. “So, when you are hearing no, you have to go back and strategize,” she explained. “What's your plan B, where does the risk sit? What's your mitigation plan?”

Creating more inclusive access to opportunity through project management

One of the defining elements of PMI Nigeria’s approach is its commitment to inclusion. The chapter intentionally extends training opportunities to underserved communities and schools supporting students with disabilities.

For Adekemi, that commitment is deeply personal. “I am a childhood cancer survivor,” she shared. “I understand the challenge that inequality brings to a child.”

That lived experience shaped her passion for ensuring no young person feels excluded from opportunity. “One of the things that I always advocate for is inclusion,” she said.

The chapter now regularly adapts training methods for students with different learning and accessibility needs, including students with visual impairments.

“We committed to being intentional about inclusivity and those with disability,” Adekemi said. “It makes us rethink our strategy and our approach to delivering this training.”

How students are finding their confidence and leadership potential

As the program expanded, chapter volunteers began noticing changes that went beyond project management terminology. Students who rarely spoke in class began participating. Quiet students started emerging as leaders. Confidence levels grew.

In one training session involving chess-based strategic exercises, volunteers discovered that some of the quietest students were exceptional critical thinkers. “They just didn't find their voice,” Adekemi said.

Schools themselves are also beginning to recognize the value of project management training. One school now integrates PMI Nigeria’s sessions into its annual leadership development calendar and invites volunteers back regularly to train student leaders.

“They dedicate a whole day for us to come and train their high school,” Adekemi said. “They see the value for this training.”

The chapter has also observed improvements in communication and leadership development among participants.

“When you train a child in project management you are telling them that they are capable of doing anything and achieving anything that they want,” Adekemi said.

How PMIEF and partnerships are helping PMI Nigeria scale its impact

PMIEF’s resources, frameworks, and educator guides have played a critical role in helping the PMI Nigeria Chapter strengthen and scale its work.

“To be honest, it has really helped us,” Adekemi said. “It's been a playbook.”

As demand has increased, the chapter has started formalizing processes to maintain consistency across regions. Volunteers developed a standard operating procedure (SOP) for facilitators to ensure students across Nigeria receive high-quality, engaging training experiences regardless of location.

The chapter is also introducing pre- and post-assessment tools to better measure student learning outcomes and demonstrate long-term impact.

“We want to get to know what understanding of project management do they even have prior to the training,” Adekemi explained. “And then how has it changed after the training.”

Partnerships have also expanded the initiative’s reach. Through collaboration with Africa Leadership Academy (ALA) and its Build-in-a-Box program, PMI Nigeria volunteers support student participants with project management training, power skills development, and experiential learning activities.

A growing movement for youth empowerment

To date, PMI Nigeria has reached more than 400 students through Project Management Skills for Life® training, and momentum continues to build. The chapter now faces an exciting new challenge: scale.

“We have requests to train over 40,000 students,” Adekemi said.

That demand signals something bigger than a successful program. It reflects a growing recognition that project management skills can empower young people far beyond the workplace.

“When you give a young person project management training, you're not just teaching that child a skill,” she said. “You're changing them and how they see themselves and how they believe in themselves.”

And for PMI Nigeria, this is only the beginning. “We decided to be a part of the change,” Adekemi said. “I'm proud that despite the challenges that the world has, the chapter is working to create the impact that our society truly needs.”

Empower the next generation through PMIEF

PMIEF equips young people with project management and leadership skills that help them build confidence while succeeding in school, careers, and life. That’s the power of Projects on Purpose, equipping the next generation with the skills needed to turn ideas into meaningful impact.

Tags: Social Impact | Leadership | Career Development

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