About the Qualifications and Credentials Platform

The African Continental Qualifications Framework Qualifications and Credentials Platform (QCP) is a digital tool that links qualifications databases across Africa.

What is the QCP? 

The Qualifications and Credentials Platform (QCP) is a key part of the African Continental Qualifications Framework (ACQF) initiative. It connects national qualifications databases across Africa – making qualifications visible, comparable, and recognised beyond borders.

The QCP supports the African Union's Agenda 2063 vision of an integrated, mobile, and competitive continent. Modern, shared qualifications systems help young people move, learn, and work freely across borders. And the QCP makes this possible by giving learners, employers, and governments a single trusted source for qualifications information from across the continent.

When you look up a qualification on the platform, you can trust that the info comes from official national sources and meets agreed standards. This verification is crucial for preventing credential fraud and keeping the platform trustworthy.

The QCP supports the goals of the African Continental Qualifications Framework (ACQF). It aims to boost mobility, expand educational and job opportunities, and encourage cooperation among African nations. The platform helps workforce development and economic growth in the continent by making qualifications and micro-credentials clear and easy to compare.

 

How the platform works 

The QCP operates through a two-level system.

National level

Each participating country maintains its own qualifications database. Countries keep full ownership and control of their data. National authorities decide what information to share and when to update it.

Continental level

The QCP connects these national databases through a common data standard. This allows users to search across all participating countries from a single platform. The platform does not replace national databases. Instead, it creates links between them, making it easier for users to find and compare qualifications from different African countries.

 

Who uses the QCP? 

The QCP serves a wide range of users across Africa.

Government officials and policy makers

For the first time, government officials and policy makers can access a continental view of qualifications. Previously, understanding how qualifications compared across African countries required extensive research. Now, policy makers can see how their national qualifications relate to those in neighbouring countries, making it easier to negotiate mutual recognition agreements. The platform also offers evidence-based information. Governments need this to make smart choices about education and skills development.

National qualifications and recognition authorities

National qualifications and recognition authorities may find that the QCP makes their work much simpler. The platform offers standard tools that improve data management and comparison of qualifications and credentials. It also allows for quick and reliable checks of the status of foreign qualifications. The centralised system makes it easier to find official information about national qualifications from different countries  in a single trusted database.

Learners, job seekers and workers

For people who want to learn, upskill or reskill, the QCP opens doors that were previously difficult to access. The platform allows learners and jobseekers effectively present the information about their qualifications to employers or education and training institutions. For those who are thinking about studying or working in another African country, it allows to better understand qualifications and learning opportunities in another country.. The platform brings together information that was once spread across various national systems. This makes it easy for people to make informed decisions about their education and careers.

Employers and education providers

Employers evaluating the content and level of qualifications and education providers comparing programmes and developing new qualifications both benefit from reliable, verified information from official national sources.

Want to learn more about the benefits of the QCP? See the interactive online course (Modules 1 and 2) and the QCP training manual (modules 1, 2 and 6).

 

Policy benefits 

The QCP supports several policy objectives across Africa:

  • Enhances mobility of learners and workers by making qualifications visible and comparable across borders
  • Increases transparency and builds trust through verified data from official national sources
  • Strengthens quality assurance and helps prevent credential fraud
  • Supports lifelong learning by showing clear development pathways
  • Helps align education outcomes with labour market needs
  • Facilitates recognition of qualifications across borders
  • Promotes cooperation between national qualifications authorities
  • Strengthens the international credibility of African education systems

 

Platform development and governance 

The QCP is developed and maintained under the ACQF programme, with an initial version launched at the end of 2024. The project involves ongoing technical support, capacity building, and expansion to additional countries across the continent.

The platform is designed for long-term sustainability. Governance structures are being established at three levels to ensure continued oversight and development after the initial project period:

  • Overall governance – decision-making on policies, membership and future development.
  • Operational governance – day-to-day running, promotion, quality control and user support.
  • Technical governance – technical maintenance, infrastructure upgrades, reliability and scalability.

Each governance structure is mirrored at national level to ensure distributed ownership whilst maintaining continental interoperability.

 

Principles guiding the platform 

  • Country ownership – National authorities maintain full control of their qualifications data.
  • Data quality – The platform supports high-quality, accurate and up-to-date information.
  • Accessibility – The platform is designed to be accessible to all users, including those using basic internet connections.
  • Open data – all qualifications data published in the platform is publicly available and is free for reuse.
  • Multilingual support – Content is available in English, French and Portuguese to serve diverse African users.
  • Open standards – The platform uses internationally recognised standards and classifications to ensure interoperability.
  • Sustainability – Development focuses on solutions that countries can maintain and operate independently after the project ends.

 

Access the platform