Smartcomply Academy Gains NiNAS Accreditation for Professional Certification

Smartcomply Academy has received accreditation from the Nigeria National Accreditation System to operate as a personnel certification body under ISO/IEC 17024:2026.

The accreditation, identified as PC0001A, became effective on September 7, 2026, and is scheduled to remain valid until September 6, 2030, according to information provided by the academy.

Smartcomply said the approval followed an assessment of its certification processes, including technical competence, impartiality and the controls used to evaluate individuals against defined professional requirements.

The academy stressed that completing one of its training programmes does not automatically result in professional certification. Candidates seeking accredited credentials must go through the relevant assessment and certification process.

Certificates issued within the approved scope will display the NiNAS accreditation symbol and Personnel No. P0003. They will also contain information identifying the certificate holder, the credential awarded, validity dates, an authorised signature and a unique number that can be checked online.

Smartcomply Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Gbemisola Osunrinde said the accreditation was intended to provide employers with evidence that professional competence had been assessed through a structured and independent system.

The academy said its professional certifications remain valid for three years, subject to its requirements for continued competence, surveillance and recertification.

It also clarified that the presence of the NiNAS symbol does not mean NiNAS directly trained, examined or certified an individual. Rather, it shows that Smartcomply's certification activities within the accredited scope have been assessed against the applicable standard for personnel certification bodies.

Smartcomply Academy began operations in 2024 as a learning platform before developing a separate certification framework to meet accreditation requirements.

Within part of its approved scope, the academy owns and manages certification schemes covering cloud security, cybersecurity and internet security, risk management, data protection and privacy governance. It also serves as an accredited certification body for five additional scheme families without owning those schemes.

The overall approved scope covers 27 professional designations across 10 scheme families. Examples listed by the academy include certifications in information security management, business continuity management and cloud security.

To support the accreditation process, Smartcomply said it established committees responsible for certification schemes, certification decisions and impartiality. Controls were also introduced for areas including candidate identity checks, examination security, remote testing, conflicts of interest, appeals, complaints and certificate verification.

Head of Smartcomply Academy Oseyemi Ayegbusi said the organisation would continue maintaining the schemes it owns and applying recertification requirements within the approved accreditation scope.

Smartcomply also said that, as of September 22, it was the only organisation on the NiNAS public register whose current accreditation certificate referenced the 2026 edition of ISO/IEC 17024.