How to Become a Project Manager in Nigeria in 90 Days

This comprehensive piece will show you exactly how to become a project manager in Nigeria in 90 days.

Project management is undoubtedly one of the careers in high demand in Nigeria today. This is a result of how highly sought-after project management skills are by businesses and industries.

The Project Management Institute (PMI) reported that there will be about 2.2 million project management jobs between 2021 and 2027.

If you want a lucrative career path, you can begin your journey to becoming a project manager even without prior experience.

How to Become a Project Manager in Nigeria:

• Step 1: Understand the Role of a Project Manager
• Step 2: Obtain a Relevant Education
• Step 3: Gain Work Experience
• Step 4: Develop Project Management Skills
• Step 5: Master Project Management Tools
• Step 6: Obtain Project Management Certifications
• Step 7: Build a Professional Network
• Step 8: Update Your Resume and Prepare for Interviews
• Step 9: Apply for Project Management Positions
• Step 10: Continuous Learning and Professional Development

What Is Project Management?

Project management is all about using formal processes, methods, tools, and techniques on a related set of tasks or activities to finish them on time and on budget. 

Projects are temporary tasks, like:

• constructing a new building
• implementing new software in a company
• product development, and more.

Who Is a Project Manager?

A project manager manages, oversees, and carries out projects or activities within or without a business organization or industry. 

Project managers are saddled with completing projects within a specific deadline on a budget. They lead a team to complete specific tasks.

Your Duties as a Project Manager in Nigeria

Here are the common roles of a Project Manager:

• Develops strategic plans and schedules to implement projects.
• Oversees and controls all resources for projects and apportions funds to various aspects of projects.
• Responsible for implementing projects within a specified budget.
• Forecasts and manages risks associated with project implementation.
• Defines a project’s scope and goals.
• Tracks the progress of a project and reports to the necessary stakeholders.

How Much Is a Project Manager Paid in Nigeria?

In Nigeria, the salary for a project manager can vary depending on factors such as experience, location, and the industry they are working in. 

On average, a project manager in Nigeria earns around ₦3,555,329 per year. Entry-level project managers may earn an average of ₦750k per year, while more experienced project managers can earn up to ₦18m per year.

However, It’s important to note that these figures are just averages, and the actual salary for a project manager in Nigeria may be higher or lower depending on the specific circumstances.

How to Become a Project Manager in Nigeria

Now, I’ll walk you through a step-by-step how you can become a project manager in Nigeria.

Step 1: Understand the Role of a Project Manager

The first step to becoming a project manager in Nigeria is to understand your duties.

The major role of a project manager is to oversee, manage, and carry out projects or activities within a specific time frame and budget. 

You must take time to study this role before concluding that you should pursue a career in project management.

Step 2: Obtain a Relevant Education

It is important to gain a level of education to pursue a project management career. You can take online courses to prepare for your project management career.

The Project Management Course: Beginner to Project Manager on Udemy is one such course.

The course runs for approximately 5 hours, and you will receive a certificate of completion afterward.

Start your journey to becoming a project manager by considering a degree in project management, business administration, and other related fields.

Step 3: Gain Work Experience

Look for means to gain some work experience in project management by applying for unpaid or paid internships or entry-level positions in any industry of interest.

One easy way to do this leveraging your family and friends.

Referrals should be your primary weapon when finding your first role.

This will give you leverage when applying for professional certification in project management.

Step 4: Develop Project Management Skills

Becoming a project manager in Nigeria requires that you develop some core project management skills and learn to use some project management software tools.

Here are 5 core project management skills you should take time to develop:

You can also read our article on the best digital skills to learn in Nigeria that still pays.

Step 5: Master Project Management Tools

Also, here are four best project management software tools you should learn to use:

Knowledge of these project management software tools will give you an edge in the project management space.

Step 6: Obtain Project Management Certifications

As you progress in your project management career, you will need to obtain relevant project management certifications. As a professional project manager, your value increases; hence, you will attract high-paying project management jobs.

The most common project management certifications you can obtain include:

• The Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)
• Project Management Professional (PMP).
• Agile Certified Professional (ACP)
• Risk Management Professional (RMP)
• Projects in Controlled Environments (PRINCE2)

Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)

If you are just starting your project manager career, you should take this program.

The eligibility criteria to qualify for CAPM program are:

• Secondary school certificate from the West African Examination Council (WAEC) or National Examination Council (NECO)
• A bachelor’s degree in project management or an equivalent course is optional.

Project Management Professional (PMP)

PMP is one of the most popular and globally recognized programs in project management with over one million certification holders worldwide. 

This program is good for professionals who want to advance in their jobs.

To be eligible for the PMP program exams, you should have:

• Secondary school certificate from the WAEC or NECO with 60 months of experience in project management or CAPM certification.
• Bachelor’s degree with 36 months of experience in project management or CAPM certification.
• 35 hours of project management training.

Agile Certified Professional (ACP)

The ACP program validates that you know Agile Project Management, a methodology that focuses on adaptability and short sprints. The program shows your hands-on experience with an Agile team.

The prerequisites for the ACP program include:

• One year of project management experience in the last five years or a PMP certification.
• 21 hours of training in Agile.
• At least 8 months of Agile project management experience in the last three years.

Risk Management Professional (RMP)

This program is for advanced project management professionals. The purpose of the RMP program is to prove that project management professionals are prepared to assess and mitigate risk in large projects.

The prerequisites for eligibility for the RMP program are:

• With a high school diploma, you will have 36 months of experience managing project risk in the last five years and 40 hours of project risk management education.
• With a bachelor’s degree, you will need 24 months of project risk management experience in the last five years and 30 hours of project risk education.

Projects in Controlled Environments (PRINCE2)

PRINCE2 is a process-based project management certification widely accepted in Nigeria and globally. 

This certification is highly recognized in the government and public sectors; hence, it is a valuable certification for project managers in these sectors. 

The syllabus includes project initiation, planning, execution, control, monitoring, and closure throughout a project’s lifespan.

Step 7: Build a Professional Network

You can’t do it alone in your project management journey, hence the need to build a professional network. To build a professional network,

• Attend seminars, workshops, and events on project management
• Leverage social media platforms like LinkedIn and Twitter to connect with experienced PMs and learn from them. 

Step 8: Update Your Resume and Prepare for Interviews

The next step in your career journey is to update your resume with all the courses, certifications, and work experiences you have. 

Once your resume is updated, start to prepare for interviews.

One way to prepare for project management interviews is to research common interview questions and their answers online. Keep practicing them.

Step 9: Apply for Project Management Positions

Now that your CV is updated, it is time to apply for project management jobs online or physically. 

Most job recruiters place advertisements online, so you need to search for project management jobs online.

Some sites where you can find remote and on-site project management jobs include:

• tryremotely.com
• We Work Remotely
• jobnetworknigeria.com
• Upwork
• LinkedIn
• Indeed
• Nairaland.

You can also offer project management as a service on Fiverr.

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Step 10: Continuous Learning and Professional Development

As with other professions and skills, you must dedicate yourself to continuous learning and professional development in project management.

Stay on top of the trend in project management by attending seminars and trainings to enhance your knowledge and skills.

Upskilling on platforms like Coursera, Udemy, and LinkedIn Learning can keep you at the edge of project management advancements.

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Take Your Project Management Career to the Next Level

Don’t remain at the entry levels of your project management career; move higher to advanced levels, where the big pay is. 

Proceed to the next level in your career by doing the following:

Specialize in a Specific Industry or Sector

Instead of being a jack of all trades, you can specialize in a specific industry or sector in your project management career.

This will enable you to focus on building your skills as they pertain to that sector or industry, boosting your growth.

Some of the sectors or industries that project managers work in are:

• Non-profit
• Engineering
• Real estate and construction
• Financial services
• Retail
• Hospitality
• Transportation and Logistics
• Manufacturing.

Choose a niche for yourself and focus on climbing the ladder to the top of your project management career.

Pursue Advanced Project Management Certifications

Consider taking an advanced project management certification and becoming a professional project manager in Nigeria.

Take the Project Management Professional Certification exam from the Project Management Institute (PMI).

With this certification, you can land high-paying jobs.

Final Thoughts

Becoming a project manager may be challenging at first due to the cost of training programs and certification, but it pays off in the long run.

A career in project management has numerous benefits, such as increased job opportunities, improved professional skills, and higher salary potential.

Ensure to advance your project management career to higher levels by taking certification exams in project management professional (PMP) from the Project Management Institute (PMI).