Three African Projects Named in Top 20 PMI List

Project Management Institute (PMI) has revealed its 2024 ‘Most Influential Projects’ list with three African projects making the top 20 projects across industries and regions.

According to the statement released by PMI, these projects have achieved significant milestones in alignment with the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) within the last 18 months and all address clear outcomes that drive project success beyond budget, scope, and schedule.

The full list of projects was revealed at the 2024 Concordia Annual Summit in New York City recently.

Since introducing the SDGs in 2015 to address the world’s most urgent environmental, political, and economic challenges, millions of people, nonprofits, collectives, and companies have come together to generate robust, creative ideas about improving the world and creating progress, the statement stated.

Progress, however, has been slow, with only 17% of the SDG targets on track, with nearly half showing minimal or moderate progress, according to The Sustainable Development Goals Report, 2024.

At the same time, PMI research just revealed that projects with some degree of social benefits are more likely to be rated a success.

The three standout projects that have been honoured from the Sub-Saharan Africa region are, Africa’s Largest Kitchen by Food4Education which addresses food insecurity by providing nutritious meals to school children across Kenya, directly contributing to the UN SDG of zero hunger.

The second project is the Life-changing Cash Transfers, a project by GiveDirectly, empowers vulnerable communities through direct cash transfers, enabling recipients to meet essential needs.

The third project is the Energy Subscription Program under the Beyond The Grid Fund for Africa is expanding access to affordable, renewable energy across underserved communities, advancing SDG goals related to clean energy and economic growth.

While speaking on the recent list, George Asamani, Managing Director, Sub-Saharan Africa, PMI said; “This year’s Most Influential Projects demonstrate the tremendous potential of project management to not only meet strategic goals but also to drive meaningful social change.

“Through innovation, collaboration, and a shared commitment to sustainable development, we are seeing real progress in addressing some of Africa’s most pressing challenges. PMI is proud to recognise and celebrate these efforts, as they embody the spirit of what project management can achieve for a better future,” he added.

Asamani stressed that “Through empathy, teamwork, innovation — and outstanding project management – this year’s honorees represent transformative initiatives that advance the United Nations SDGs. The projects recognised implement solutions and comprehensive approaches that rethink the world as we know it rather than putting a bandage on problems. They’re critically assessing their performance to develop replicable best practices that can create exponential positive change.

The list highlights project teams’ progress on innovative projects in education, climate action, architecture, technology, healthcare, and more.

The Top 20 Most Influential Projects include; 1 Billion Tree Project, Government of Mongolia in collaboration with private enterprise (Region: Asia Pacific), 3D Kidney Printing, Trestle Biotherapeutics (Region: North America), Blue Natural Capital, OCN.AI (Region: Global), Digital Security Training, Freedom of the Press Foundation (Region: Global), Disappearing Packaging, Notpla, Ltd. (Region: Latin America), Escuelas de Lluvia, Isla Urbana (Region: Latin America),               Irrigation Monitoring Sensors, Virtual Irrigation Academy (Region: Global), Jardin de Mels, State Secretariat for Sustainable Development (Sedest), the Water and Land Institute, and the government of Paraná, Brazil (Region: Latin America),  LATAM Accelerator Cohort, Inter-American Development Bank and Toilet Board Coalition (Region: Latin America).

Others are National STEM Festival, EXPLR and U.S. Department of Education (Region: North America), NESsT Refugee Employment Initiative, IKEA (Region: Global), Requiem in Power, City of Valencia, Spain (Region: Europe), Sana Jardin Women’s Cooperative, Sana Jardin Perfumes (Region: MENA), The Pad Project Partnership Program, The Pad Project (Region: Global), UNHCR Sports Partnership, Fundación Barça, and UN’s High Commission on Refugees (Region: Europe), Vietnam Home-to-School Travel Safety Program, International Road Assessment Programme (Region: APAC) and Wolbachia Mosquitoes Release Program, World Mosquito Program (Region: Global)