…..Calls for Recognition of Professional Competence

Education experts have called for an urgent shift from theory-based certification to competence-driven learning as a way to tackle Africa’s growing skills gap and economic stagnation.

This was at the 2025 African Education Roundtable and Qualification Conferment, themed Recognising Competence: Practice-Based Qualifications, Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning (APEL) Skill Recognition (SR) and ISO Certified Credentials (ICC) as Tools for African Educational and Economic Revamp, organised by Omniversity Imperial College, Missouri, United States, held in Lagos.

President and Chairman, Board of Trustees of Omniversity, Prof. Tokunbo Akeredolu-Ale, said the institution is pioneering an educational framework that recognises and validates professional practice alongside traditional academic qualifications.

“We are here to confer qualifications on deserving individuals who have been evaluated and found worthy of those titles,” Akeredolu-Ale announced. “They are seven in all—three Professors of Practice and five Doctors of Practice.”

According to him, Omniversity’s model, grounded in the international benchmark ISO 2993:2017, offers a globally recognised system for accrediting experiential learning outside the traditional classroom. The evaluation process, he explained, assesses candidates based on their work history, professional achievements, project management experience, and leadership capacity, among other metrics.

“Globally, there is increasing recognition of practice-based qualifications as opposed to purely theoretical accreditations. Unfortunately, this realisation is coming a bit late to Africa. We would like to have a mix of 75:25, practice to theory, so that individuals who have excelled in their fields but have been outside the academic system can also be formally recognised for their competence,” he said.

Akeredolu-Ale described the initiative as a ‘wave of new hope’ for Africa’s education sector, insisting that it is time the continent stopped ‘playing catch-up’ and began leading global educational innovation.

“We have produced some of the best talents in the world, yet many remain unrecognised because there are no frameworks for evaluating their contributions,” he said. “It’s time the town met the gown our experts, innovators, and unsung heroes deserve structured recognition.”

He also disclosed that Omniversity’s educational innovation is aimed at fusing theory with practice, ensuring that professionals and academics complement each other to build a more productive economy.
The keynote address, titled “Educational Innovation and Curriculum Framework Structure: Establishing a Global Standard for Professional Qualifications in Africa,” highlighted how the initiative disrupts traditional university systems by prioritising competency, practice, and measurable outcomes.

The paper noted that the professional qualification framework, inspired by ISO 2993:2017, ensures quality assurance for learning services outside formal education and establishes Africa as a model for global best practices in education.

“This initiative complements not replace traditional universities. It expands the ecosystem of higher learning by recognising all forms of knowledge academic, professional, and experiential,” Akeredolu-Ale said.

Business Leader, Dr. Prisca Ndu who was conferred with the title Professor of Practice in Management and Finance for her decades of professional excellence,
expressing her delight, noting that the recognition validates her years of contribution to both the public and private sectors.

“This award is an endorsement of professional work and proof that integrity and hard work still matter in our society,” she said. “Omniversity is breaking new ground by showing that experience and skill deserve formal recognition.”

She emphasised the need for professionals to continue valuing education and lifelong learning, warning that the increasing focus on wealth accumulation should not erode the importance of knowledge acquisition.
Dr. Ndu, a strong advocate of academia, called for greater efforts to inspire young people to appreciate the value of education, noting that many in the younger generation now see learning as unimportant.
She described Omniversity as a “breakthrough institution” and praised its role as the first ISO-certified learning institution in Africa for recognising professionals whose experience and contributions are of academic and economic value.

“We are not downplaying the worth of formal certifications. But when someone has spent decades in a field, their experience is germane. It is only right that such expertise is formally recognised.”

Representing the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Tertiary Education, Lagos State, Mr. Adeniran Kasali; Head of Department, Student Support, Mrs. Olubunmi Ibidapo-Obe, commended Omniversity for fostering innovation and promoting Africa’s intellectual excellence.

She said the theme of the event highlights innovative approaches to unlocking African potential through skill-based qualifications and ISO-certified credentials.

“This is about celebrating Africa’s finest minds, fostering innovation, collaboration and excellence in education. Unlike the conventional system that focuses mainly on certificates, this approach values what you have upstairs, your demonstrable competence and what you can contribute,” she said.

Mrs. Ibidapo-Obe added that many talented individuals who lack formal university education due to financial or social barriers remain highly skilled and knowledgeable, noting that competence-based recognition provides them with new opportunities for validation and growth.

“There are many people who do not have formal qualifications but are very learned, cultured, and exceptionally good at what they do. Recognising such people is vital for our educational and economic advancement,” she added.

Professionals conferred with doctorate include; Dr. Francis Toromade; Dr Happiness Obioha; Mr Anthony Allen; Ladi Akeredolu-Ale; Mrs Adeola Allen; Mr Celestine Achi; Mr Samson Sokoya; Mr Ogunaike Adedayo; Adedamola Olubode; Mr Jerome Obada and Mrs Daisy Jaja.