NAQAA is The Gambia's trusted authority ensuring quality in education through services like GSQ Certification, RPL assessments, and institution accreditation. They certify students, verify prior learning, and support institutions in meeting international standards. Whether you're a student, professional, or institution, NAQAA offers a path to recognition and excellence. By ensuring fair assessments and maintaining quality assurance, NAQAA helps shape a brighter future for education in The Gambia. NAQAA — where skills meet recognition.
Explore our ServicesNAQAA conducts comprehensive assessments to evaluate individuals' competencies, skills, and knowledge in various vocational and technical areas under the Gambia Skills Qualifications Framework (GSQF). This service ensures that candidates meet industry or training standards by undergoing practical and theoretical evaluations. Upon successful completion, individuals receive certification, which serves as formal recognition of their qualifications and expertise. These certifications are widely recognized within the workforce, enhancing employment opportunities and career progression for individuals in their respective fields.
The Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) service provided by NAQAA allows individuals to have their informal education, work experience, or life skills assessed and formally recognized. This process enables people who may not have followed a formal educational pathway to earn qualifications based on the skills and knowledge they have acquired outside formal education. Through RPL, individuals can reduce the time required to gain a new qualification or enter advanced stages of their chosen field. NAQAA's RPL service promotes lifelong learning and provides opportunities for career advancement, especially for adults re-entering education or changing careers.
The right of a candidate who is aggrieved by an assessment or other operational decision to appeal to NAQAA in writing (email is acceptable). However, it must be noted that appeals are not just made by students. They can come from anyone affected by a decision. Appeals can be launched by:
NAQAA offers a certificate verification service to authenticate qualifications issued by local tertiary institutions. This process ensures that certificates presented by individuals are genuine, issued by accredited institutions, and meet the established educational or vocational standards. The verification service is critical for employers, educational institutions, and professional bodies in assessing the legitimacy and credibility of an individual’s qualifications. It helps prevent fraudulent claims and ensures that only qualified individuals gain access to job positions or further education opportunities.
NAQAA is responsible for the registration and accreditation of higher education and tertiary institutions in The Gambia. The Authority ensures that these institutions comply with national set standards for academic quality, governance, infrastructure, and staff qualifications. Registration is a mandatory process for institutions to legally operate, while accreditation ensures that they deliver high-quality education that aligns with global standards. This process involves regular reviews, inspections, and continuous monitoring, ensuring institutions maintain their accreditation status by providing relevant, updated, and student-centered education.
NAQAA registers and accredits trainers who deliver education and training at tertiary institutions. This process ensures that trainers possess the necessary academic qualifications, professional experience, and teaching skills to effectively educate and train students. Accredited trainers play a vital role in maintaining the quality of education, as they are expected to continuously develop their expertise and stay updated with the latest advancements in their field. NAQAA’s accreditation of trainers helps to raise the standard of teaching and ensures that learners are guided by qualified professionals.
Furthermore, NAQAA conducts the registration and accreditation of assessors and verifiers in The Gambia. The registration process evaluates the qualifications, experience, and professional background of these individuals, ensuring they have the necessary credentials to assess and evaluate learners according to national and industry standards. Assessors assess and evaluate learners' skills, while verifiers oversee the process to maintain integrity. Assessors have a strong understanding of competency-based assessment frameworks, while verifiers oversee and audit the work of assessors, acting as a safeguard against bias and ensuring fairness, consistency, and reliability in assessment processes.
Programme accreditation is a service where NAQAA evaluates and accredits specific academic or technical and vocational programmes offered by institutions. The aim is to ensure that each programme meets national and international standards in terms of curriculum design, faculty qualifications, teaching methodology, and learning outcomes. Accreditation of programmes guarantees that students are receiving an education that is both relevant to their career aspirations and aligned with industry demands. It also enhances the institution’s reputation, as accredited programmes are more likely to be trusted by employers and other educational institutions.
NAQAA offers a qualification verification and equivalence service to determine the authenticity and comparability of both local and international qualifications. This service is essential for individuals who seek to further their education or pursue employment opportunities in The Gambia. NAQAA assesses whether foreign qualifications align with the country’s educational standards and determines the equivalent level in the Gambian context as indicated in The Gambia National Qualifications Framework (GNQF). This ensures that individuals with international qualifications are fairly evaluated and placed at an appropriate level, enabling them to integrate smoothly into the Gambian education system or workforce. Additionally, the qualification verification service helps employers and educational institutions assess the validity of credentials submitted by candidates from outside The Gambia.
NAQAA
National Accreditation & Quality Assurance Authority
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National Accreditation and Quality Assurance Authority Kanifing Institutional Layout |
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| P. O. Box 1087, Banjul, The Gambia, West Africa | |
| info@naqaa.gm / naqaa@naqaa.gm | |
| (+220) 437 0518 / 4370548 | |
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Monday – Thursday: 8:00 – 16:00 Hrs Friday: 8:00 – 12:30 Hrs |
