Smartcomply: NiNAS Accredits Cybersecurity Certification in Nigeria

• Smartcomply Academy has received accreditation from the Nigeria National Accreditation System (NiNAS) as a personnel certification body, effective September 7, 2026.
• This accreditation enables Smartcomply to certify professionals in cybersecurity, AI, and privacy under the ISO/IEC 17024:2026 standard, making it the only body on the NiNAS register with this specific standard as of September 22.
• Certification is distinct from course completion, requiring independent assessment of technical competence, impartiality, and adherence to rigorous controls.
• The scope covers 27 designations across 10 scheme families, with Smartcomply acting as both scheme owner and certification body for key areas like data protection and cybersecurity governance.
• Accredited certificates will carry the NiNAS symbol and provide verifiable proof of competence, valid for three years subject to ongoing requirements.

This accreditation provides a verifiable standard for assessing the competence of cybersecurity and data protection professionals in Nigeria, which is crucial for organizations seeking to demonstrate compliance with data protection regulations and manage cybersecurity risks effectively.

Smartcomply Academy has achieved a significant milestone by securing accreditation from the Nigeria National Accreditation System (NiNAS) as a personnel certification body. This accreditation empowers the academy to certify professionals across critical domains including cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and privacy, adhering to the internationally recognized ISO/IEC 17024:2026 standard. The accreditation, officially referenced as PC0001A, became effective on September 7, 2026, and is slated to remain valid until September 6, 2030. Notably, as of September 22, Smartcomply Academy stood as the sole entity listed on the NiNAS public register whose current accreditation certificate specifically cited the 2026 edition of the ISO/IEC 17024 standard. This distinction underscores the academy's commitment to adopting the most current and rigorous international benchmarks for personnel certification. The accreditation process involved a comprehensive evaluation of Smartcomply Academy's certification system, scrutinizing its technical competence, impartiality, and the robust controls in place for certifying individuals against predefined requirements.

The accreditation distinctly separates professional certification from mere course completion; candidates who complete Smartcomply Academy's training programs are not automatically certified. Instead, certification is awarded based on demonstrated competence through an independent assessment process. Certificates issued under the academy's NiNAS-approved scope will prominently feature the NiNAS accreditation symbol and Personnel Number P0003, providing clear evidence of their accredited status. Each certificate will meticulously identify the holder and the specific certification achieved, state the issue and expiry dates, bear the authorized signature of the academy director, and include a unique identification number verifiable online. The approved certification scope is extensive, encompassing 27 designations across 10 distinct scheme families. For five of these scheme families—namely cloud security, cybersecurity and internet security, risk management, and data protection and privacy governance—Smartcomply Academy functions as both the scheme owner and the accredited personnel certification body. In this dual capacity, it defines and maintains the competence requirements, eligibility criteria, assessment methodologies, certification rules, and recertification pathways for these schemes. For the remaining five scheme families, the academy operates solely as the accredited personnel certification body, applying its rigorous certification processes to schemes owned by other entities. To meet the stringent accreditation requirements, Smartcomply Academy established dedicated Scheme, Certification, and Impartiality Committees. It also implemented a comprehensive suite of controls designed to ensure fairness and security throughout the certification process. These measures address potential conflicts of interest, streamline candidate applications, verify identities, secure examination content, facilitate secure remote examinations, and integrate automated proctoring with human review. Furthermore, the academy strengthened its internal procedures for examination review, independent certification decisions, certificate issuance and verification, appeals and complaints, recertification, records management, document control, and oversight of external service providers.

This accreditation provides a verifiable standard for assessing the competence of cybersecurity and data protection professionals in Nigeria, which is crucial for organizations seeking to demonstrate compliance with data protection regulations and manage cybersecurity risks effectively. Gbemisola Osunrinde, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Smartcomply Group, emphasized the profound value of accredited certification, stating that it should convey more to an employer than just course completion. According to Osunrinde, an accredited certificate signifies that an individual's competence has been rigorously tested through a governed, impartial, and secure process, reflecting substantial investment in the people, committees, technology, procedures, and evidence required to meet such a high standard. The NiNAS accreditation symbol on Smartcomply's in-scope certificates offers professionals a visible link to the independently assessed system underpinning their achievements, fostering greater trust and recognition within the industry. Smartcomply certifications are valid for three years, subject to the academy’s ongoing surveillance, continuing competence assessments, and recertification requirements. It is important to clarify that the presence of the NiNAS symbol on a certificate indicates that the certification activities conducted by Smartcomply Academy within its approved scope have been assessed against the stringent requirements for personnel certification bodies; it does not imply that NiNAS itself trained, examined, or directly certified the individual. Smartcomply Academy, which began as a learning platform in 2024, subsequently developed a distinct certification system specifically to fulfill these demanding accreditation requirements.

This accreditation provides a verifiable standard for assessing the competence of cybersecurity and data protection professionals in Nigeria, which is crucial for organizations seeking to demonstrate compliance with data protection regulations and manage cybersecurity risks effectively. Lawyers and compliance officers should note this new benchmark when advising on professional qualifications and due diligence in these critical areas.

Source: Original reporting via Punch Newspapers