The Mediation Training Institute (MTI-Nigeria) has warned that several Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) institutions in the country are operating illegally without accreditation from the Centre for Management Development (CMD).

The institute expressed concern that the proliferation of unregulated ADR institutions issuing unrecognised certifications is creating a credential validation crisis and eroding public trust in professional training across Nigeria.

The President of MTI-Nigeria, Ambassador Segun Ogunyannwo, raised the concerns in a statement yesterday in Abuja.

Ogunyannwo stated that under the Nigerian Council for Management Development (NCMD) Act 2022, all organisations involved in training and consultancy, along with their three principal officers, must be accredited by CMD before issuing any certificates or conducting professional induction.

According to him, any organisation not accredited by CMD is operating illegally and not qualified to train, certify, or induct professionals, adding that certificates issued by such institutions are invalid.

Ogunyannwo also criticised the misuse of the term “chartered” by some ADR bodies, noting that only organisations established by an Act of the National Assembly and assented to by the President can legitimately claim the title.

He said: “Some institutions falsely claim to be ‘chartered’ without any law backing them. This is misleading and deceptive. An institute must be established by law before it can be chartered — anything else is a falsehood.

“The sad part is that some of the ADR institutions don’t even have any Bill on the floor of the National Assembly. Very strange”.

They seem to be more interested in just collecting money from the unsuspecting public and their members.”

Ogunyannwo stressed that when institutions misrepresent their legal status and operate outside the regulatory framework, public trust in the entire professional development ecosystem erodes. He added that citizens who invest time and money in training programmes deserve assurance that the institution is legally authorised to operate.

He disclosed that MTI-Nigeria remains the only ADR institution fully accredited by CMD and compliant with statutory requirements.