Ghanaian playwright receives Best Project Management

Celebrated Ghanaian Playwright and Project Management Strategist, Latif Batalima Abubakar PMP, has been adjudged the Best Project Management Professional at the maiden Sky Africa Awards in a ceremony held at the Hilton Hotel in Yaoundé, Cameroon.

His innovative “Single Simple Practical (SSP) Approach to Managing Projects,” an innovation that shortens delivery cycles while elevating risk governance, was cited as a key factor in his win.

The approach which has been adopted by multinationals such as AirtelTigo and ActionAid, has sharpened the skills of over 4,500 professionals in project, risk, and procurement management.

Aimed at celebrating and promoting African creativity in the fields of interior architecture, handicrafts, art, and design, the event, chaired by the former President of Ecuador, Madam Rosalia Arteaga, brought together government officials, ministers, global financiers, and creative-industry titans.

Mr. Abubakar who is also the Founder of Globe Management Institute, Globe Productions Limited, and The African Festival, Africa’s largest culture night, which anchors pan-African tourism calendars, was recognized for executing projects, and engineering ecosystems that outlive single deliverables evident in The African Festival’s year-on-year growth and the commercial spin-offs it spawns.

Impact beyond projects

Through his Globe Productions, he creates more than 1,000 temporary jobs annually across acting, logistics, media, and SME supply chains, an employment footprint unmatched by any other nominee.

His flagship campaign, “Ghana Must Go,” a theatre-driven investment and tourism tour spanning ten countries, has become a model for converting cultural content into foreign direct investment.

Award

Presenting the award, the former Ecuadorian President, Rosalía Arteaga lauded Mr. Abubakar’s ability to turn culture into currency, citing the economic benefits therein.

Part of a citation presented to him said “Latif’s work proves that rigorous project science and powerful storytelling can coexist, and when they do, entire economies benefit.”

The jury also praised his transparent monitoring and evaluation framework, which tracks socio-economic return-on-investments jobs created, SMEs empowered, and tourism receipts on every initiative, as well as negotiating with government, and ministries to coordinating three world faith leaders on one stage for consensus-building.

In a speech read on his behalf, Cameroonian President, Paul Biya hailed the celebrated Playwright as “a Pan-African ambassador whose projects build bridges across borders.”

Sustainable Development
Receiving the award, Mr. Abubakar who paid tribute to his Globe Management Institute and Globe Productions Ltd teams, said, “Tonight affirms that Africa’s creative spirit, when guided by professional project management, can power sustainable development across continents.”

With the Sky Africa Award in hand, the celebrated Playwright said he would leverage his SSP Approach to fast-track infrastructure, renewable energy, and social enterprise projects, while expanding capacity-building programs.

Revealing his plans on embarking on a Global Tour of “Ghana Must Go” from August 2025 to August 2026, Mr. Abubakar called on Governments, DFIs, and brands to buy-in sponsorship packages that blend impact storytelling with high-value networking.

“We invite investors, development agencies, and forward-thinking CEOs to partner with us, and together, we can script Africa’s next growth chapter, scene by scene, project by project,” he said.

Latif Abubakar

Latif Abubakar is a visionary project leader with 15+ years of excellence in project design, strategic execution, and stakeholder engagement across Africa, Europe, and North America.

As founder and CEO of Globe Productions Limited, and Globe Management Institute, he has been a trailblazer in fusing creative arts with development, and led landmark initiatives with institutions like the World Bank, BBC, UN, and WHO, Swiss Embassy, and the Embassy of Spain, while also founding Africa’s biggest cultural night, The African Festival.

Mr. Abubakar is also a Certified Project Management Professional (PMP) with an Executive MBA from the Swiss Business School, author of Facts to Remember: PMP Exams Prep, and pioneer of the SSP Approach to Managing Projects.

Credited with over 20 landmark stage plays that tackle national and social challenges from HIV/AIDS to illegal mining, that have been seen by over 1 million theatregoers and 3.5 million virtual viewers during the COVID-19 lockdown,

He is currently a Project Management Facilitator of the Joy Business Masterclass on air series, and also serves on the Advisory Board of the American Academy of Project Managers, and the Spain Ghana Chamber of Commerce.