Message from the Director
The ACDE-Quality Assurance and Accreditation Agency (ACDE-QAAA) is a dedicated Unit within the African Council for Distance Education (ACDE) focused on establishing and maintaining quality standards in Open and Distance Learning (ODL) across African institutions. Established in May 2009, the Agency was mandated to address the need for an African-centered approach to quality assurance in distance education, a decision endorsed by the ACDE’s Executive Board.
The Agency’s main responsibilities involve monitoring, auditing, and advising institutions on quality assurance practices to enhance their internal quality systems. One of its significant contributions is the development of a Quality Assurance Toolkit, a resource designed to assist African ODL institutions in adopting and maintaining high-quality practices through collaborative efforts. This toolkit supports various institutions with accreditation, articulation, and credit transfer processes across the continent.
Aligned with the ACDE’s 2021-2025 strategic plan, the ACDE-QAAA has trained over 140 Quality Assurance Officers from 11 institutions, revised and digitized the toolkit, and held webinars to improve understanding and usage of the toolkit. The Agency is currently refining its certification materials, including a structured certification process and procedures to lay the groundwork for the commencement of institutional certification of ACDE member institutions that use and comply with the ACDE quality assurance standards.
The ACDE-QAAA Secretariat is domiciled at the Headquarters of the National Open University of Nigeria, Plot 91 University Village, Cadastral Zone, Nnamdi Azikiwe Expressway, Jabi, Abuja, serving as a continental hub for quality assurance initiatives in ODL across Africa. – Prof. Dorothy Ofoha
What We Do
OUR ACTIVITIES
The Agency is mandated to initiate capacity building and training workshops, Engage national Regulatory bodies, articulate and facilitate credit transfer. the agency is also required to provide training and certification of institutions and their programmes while reviewing Programmes and Institutional audits.
OUR SERVICES
Our goal is to provide African ODeL (Open and Distance Learning) institutions with access to internationally recognized practices, policies, standards, and criteria. We aim to enhance quality assurance systems at institutional, national, regional, and continental levels for ODeL in Africa. Additionally, we are focused on building the capacity of higher ODL institutions in quality development and management. Collaboration and partnerships with international distance learning accreditation agencies are also a priority, as we believe they can greatly improve quality management and practice. Lastly, we are committed to facilitating the ease of credit transfer across institutions, making it more seamless for Institutions. Together, these efforts aim to elevate the standards and effectiveness of ODeL in Africa
OUR ACHIEVEMENTS
In collaboration with UNESCO, COL, and ODL international reference group, we have developed, contextualized, digitalized and validated the ACDE Quality Assurance toolkit. Additionally we have trained over 140 QA trainers of trainers (ToTs) from 11 ACDE member institutions, then furthermore, we have developed the ACDE Quality assurance framework manual, which provides a comprehensive guide for implementing quality assurance practics.
Our Reach