Dakuku Peterside, Ibidapo-Obe Applaud Omniversity For Practice-Based Accreditation Of Professionals

A Maritime Consultant, Dr Dakuku Peterside and the President, Omniversity Imperial College, Prof. Francis Ibidapo-Obe have applauded Omniversity for Practice- based accreditation of professionals.

They made this known at the African Innovation Workshop 2025 and ISO-Aligned Practice Qualifications Conferment in Lagos on Friday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the workshop had the theme: Revolutionizing Nigeria’s Education and Workforce Development.

Integrating Accreditation of Prior Experimental Learning (APEL), Competency-Based Evaluation (CBE) & Skill Recognition (SR) Based Practice Qualifications into the National Education Qualifications Framework.

Peterside, a former NIMASA Director-General, said embracing practice-based qualification and certification were the key to unlocking greater opportunities for the young men and women.

He said this approach not only expands access to training but also enhances the international recognition and employability of Nigerian maritime professionals.

According to him, by prioritising collaboration in this area, Nigeria can cultivate a new generation of highly skilled individuals ready to lead the blue economy.

He said Omniversity’s Practice Qualifications were competency-based recognitions that assess demonstrable expertise, leadership impact, and practical achievements in a specific field.

Peterside, said unlike purely academic degrees, they emphasised verifiable contributions, innovation, and applied learning outcomes.

The maritime consultant said the US coastguard (USCG) recognised and uses this method.

A former NIMASA DG said Nigeria is a coastal nation with a coastline stretching 853 kilometers (530 miles).

“To fully harness the potential of our geographic advantage—especially given our large youth population—we must invest in developing more maritime professionals with globally recognized qualifications.

“Nigeria’s local content policy further supports the training of skilled maritime personnel to drive growth in our oil and gas industry and the broader blue economy sector.

“Moreover, by building a robust pipeline of qualified professionals, Nigeria can follow the example of countries like the Philippines and export maritime talent, generating valuable remittances.

“Achieving this goal, however, requires a new approach to training and certification.

Also speaking, Akeredolu-Ale, who is also the college Chairman, Board of Trustees, said there was hope for the evaluation of practice knowledge in the country as opposed to the classrooms teaching alone.

He said: “We hope to use this medium to evaluate and validate the knowledge, education, experience and skills they have.

” So they can match it with the practice framework such that they can be awarded for the skills and practice. ”

Akeredolu-Ale said the workshop was one of the many African innovative workshops that they intended to do and also the practice conferment 2025.

He said the university aim was to focus on practice qualifications as suppose to the theoretical knowledge and academic education, adding that it wanted to streamline and differentiate education from academics.

” Education takes place outside and inside the classroom, not necessarily inside the classroom.

” We want to be able to be accredited prior expression learning competency based evaluation and skill recognition.

” So that people in Africa and especially in Nigeria are evaluated for what they know rather than just theoretical certificates. ”

Akeredolu-Ale urged the minister of education, on the need to partner with the college to entrench practice qualifications in the education framework.

According to him, this is such that Nigeria and indeed Africa can take her rightful place by taking practice qualifications more seriously.

He explained that it was where true development stemmed from, not theoretical knowledge.

Akeredolu-Ale said the collged had 17 honourary fellowship awardees, 13 showed up in persons, four professors of practice and two doctors of practice.

“The awardees are, Dr Dakuku Peterside, Mrs Janet Onaolapo, Dr Folarin Afelumo, Dr Wasiu Taiwo, Mr Fedelis Nworu, Mr Olawanle Moronkeji, Mr Omotade Oke-Egbe.

“Others are Mr Lanre Popoola, Ali Hasbini, Gong Rui Jie, Dr Adebowale Omotosho, Mr Kehinde Ogunlade, Onuche Itodo, Jonathan Onigbinde, Mr Alex Ebebeli, Dr Taiwo Akinola and Mr Wasiu Taiwo.

“The four professors of practice awardees are Capt. Oladeji Folayan, Prof. Wole Osatimeyin, Dr Gabriel Oyediji, Dr Ibukunoluwa Oremidu, while the two Doctors in practice are: Dr Abubakar Aliyu, Dr Stephen Oniya.

The Guest Lecturer, a Professor of Practice in Strategy Management in Omniversity Imperial College, Omnisuri US, Prof. Francis Toromade, said the college was trying to promote recognition of skills that add value.

Toromade, a Deputy Commissioner of Police, said when people were certificated in some profession they still needed to be certified, citing professions such as accounting, banking, insurance, law.

NAN