A new framework for professional qualifications is set to be unveiled in Lagos on 3 October 2025, marking a shift in higher education across Africa. Omniversity Imperial College, USA, will introduce the world’s first system to award ISO-benchmarked qualifications based entirely on professional experience and competence.
“We are fundamentally redefining the relationship between work and learning,” said Tola Sokoya, Director of Strategic Engagement at Omniversity. “This isn’t just an alternative to a traditional degree; it’s a superior validation of demonstrated mastery. By becoming the world’s first university to integrate ISO Certification, APEL, and CBE into a unified qualification framework, we are offering a new gold standard for professional recognition that is fit for the 21st-century economy.”
The initiative challenges traditional university models and is designed to recognise the expertise of professionals whose skills have not been formally certified. At the launch, a group of professionals will receive practice-based Doctorates, Fellowships, and Professorships during the African Education Roundtable.
Tokunbo Akeredolu-Ale, President of the Omniversity International Council, highlighted the broader implications. “Africa’s greatest resource is its human capital. For too long, the immense expertise of its professionals has been undervalued by legacy academic systems,” he said. “Our model provides a robust, internationally benchmarked pathway to certify competence where it truly matters—in practice. This is about empowering a generation of African leaders and innovators to drive the continent’s economic future with the credentials they have rightfully earned.”
The Omniversity model integrates Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning (APEL) and Competency-Based Evaluations (CBE) within a management system certified to ISO 21001:2018. This creates a structured process for professionals to convert workplace knowledge into recognised qualifications.
The roundtable, hosted at De Rembrandt Hotel & Suites in Ikeja, Lagos, will be held under the theme Recognising Competence: Practice-based qualifications, APEL, & ISO-Certified Credentials as Tools for African Educational & Economic Revamp. Participants will include industry leaders, academics, and policymakers. Discussions will focus on career progression, talent retention, and the value of competence-based recognition for African industries.
