The Project Management Institute (PMI) has urged professionals to continually upgrade their skills as artificial intelligence (AI) rapidly automates tasks and transforms how organisations operate.
PMI gave the advice while unveiling its refreshed Project Management Professional (PMP) certification examination, which was launched globally in July 2026 to align project management skills with the evolving demands of employers.
The institute said the pace of technological change makes continuous learning increasingly important, noting that about half of technical skills could become obsolete within five years.
The updated PMP examination shifts the emphasis beyond traditional project management tools and processes to areas such as business alignment, strategic decision-making, leadership, stakeholder engagement, sustainability and AI-enabled project delivery.
George Asamani, Managing Director, PMI Sub-Saharan Africa, said the exam is regularly updated to reflect changes in the profession and the capabilities organisations increasingly require. “We regularly refresh the exam to ensure it continues to reflect how project professionals work, the challenges they face, and the capabilities organisations expect from them. The 2026 refresh is part of that ongoing evolution,” Asamani said.
The refreshed certification places greater emphasis on the ability of project professionals to apply knowledge in real-world situations rather than simply demonstrate theoretical understanding.
Candidates are now expected to show how they would handle competing priorities, manage stakeholders, make strategic decisions and keep projects focused on delivering measurable value.
The changes reflect growing pressure on organisations to close the gap between strategy and execution.
PMI research shows that 35 per cent of CEOs identify the disconnect between planning and execution as their biggest barrier to reinvention, while 34 per cent cite failure to upgrade talent for future needs.
“Organisations need project professionals who can close that gap, people who understand what the business is trying to achieve and have the skills to turn those priorities into successful projects,” Asamani said.
The institute estimates that organisations globally could require up to 30 million additional project professionals by 2035 to deliver transformation, infrastructure and technology programmes.
The skills challenge is particularly significant for Africa, given the continent’s projected growth in its working-age population.
Asamani said the continent’s growing workforce should view AI as a tool to be harnessed rather than simply a threat to employment.
“By 2050, Africa is expected to account for 85 per cent of the growth in the world’s working-age population. Our opportunity is not to compete with AI, but to ensure that this growing workforce has the skills to harness it,” he said.
He added that the PMP certification is intended to validate the capabilities needed to manage projects and deliver outcomes in an increasingly technology-driven economy.
“The PMP certification is designed to validate those capabilities and equip them to deliver the projects that will shape the continent’s future,” Asamani said.
