The Project Management Institute (PMI) Nigeria and Babcock University have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to equip students with globally recognised project management skills and enhance their employability in the international job market.
The partnership is expected to provide students with access to professional development opportunities and internationally recognised certifications, while connecting them to PMI’s global community of project management professionals.
The MoU will also support the establishment of a sustainable PMI Student Club on the university campus and promote evidence-based project management, thought leadership and regional research.
Speaking at the signing ceremony held at the President/Vice Chancellor’s Boardroom of Babcock University, PMI Nigeria President, Arc. (Dr.) Gbolahan Oyelakin, described the partnership as historic, stressing the importance of exposing students to professional development, leadership opportunities and global networks.
Oyelakin said the collaboration would create opportunities for students to develop professionally and acquire leadership skills that would prepare them for the demands of the modern workplace.
‘Within the context of the MoU that we are signing today, we are hoping to pursue opportunities to establish professional development for the students, which I believe, working together with the school, we will be able to achieve,’ he said.
He added that PMI would work with the university to build a strong and continually engaged community of students and professionals, noting that the partnership would connect Babcock students to the global experience and resources of the institute.
According to him, PMI’s presence in more than 200 countries and territories would expose students to opportunities for collaboration and networking with professionals across the world.
‘PMI is a global organisation present in over 200 countries and territories. What that means is that students are exposed to collaborating and also networking with professionals at that level,’ Oyelakin said.
He noted that PMI’s more than five decades of experience in project management had positioned the organisation to provide students with core knowledge and skills needed to thrive in a competitive global economy.
‘What a 57-year-old organisation can offer to a generation is enormous. That is exactly what the institution offers,’ he said.
Oyelakin said the institute was also looking forward to supporting skill development and expanding its engagement within Nigeria through the partnership.
As part of the collaboration, PMI Nigeria announced an all-expenses-paid trip to Cape Town for one Babcock University student to attend an upcoming PMI regional programme later this year.
In her remarks, the PMI Nigeria Vice President of Youth and Social Impact, Ms Adekemi Oyewusi appreciated the university VC and his team for their commitment to ensuring the MoU signing’s success.
She noted some important upcoming flagship programs focused on Youths and students to enable them to develop innovative, problem-solving, effective communication and leadershp skillsets – the flagship programs include the PMI West Africa Chapters Student Club Hackathon, PMI Nigeria Youth Mentorship Program and Annual National Youth Conference. She urged the school to encourage the students to participate in these events.
The President/Vice Chancellor of Babcock University, Prof. Afolarin Ojewole, expressed excitement over the partnership, describing it as an important step towards developing human capital and preparing students for effective leadership and professional delivery.
Ojewole said project management skills were relevant across virtually every sector of society, including the church, homes, government and institutions, stressing that the discipline went beyond the management of conventional projects.
He said incorporating project management knowledge into the development of students would enhance their capacity and help produce graduates who were ready for the labour market.
‘I believe that if this can go amongst staff, faculty and students, we will be producing market-ready students,’ he said.
The Vice Chancellor added that Babcock University was committed to developing people and equipping them with skills that would make them highly sought after in their chosen professions.
He said graduates who moved on to other organisations would remain ambassadors of the university, stressing that the institution’s focus was on ‘growing people’ and building a stronger community.
Ojewole further disclosed that the university was willing to deepen its collaboration with PMI and explore opportunities to extend project management awareness and inspiration to secondary school students.
‘We are about growing and building people, and this is about growing people. Let’s do this,’ he stated.
The university said the collaboration marked a significant step towards preparing its students with the skills, professional exposure and global networks required to succeed in an increasingly competitive international marketplace.