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The Namibia Qualifications Authority (NQA) has warned employers, education institutions and professional bodies against accepting fraudulent or misrepresented qualifications, saying fake credentials can undermine public safety, unfairly displace qualified candidates and erode trust in Namibia’s education and training system.
Speaking at a stakeholder engagement in Windhoek on Tuesday under the theme “Quality, Standards and Credibility,” NQA executive for qualification, Joseph Amunyela, said qualification verification should be treated as a key part of recruitment, admission, promotion and professional registration rather than an administrative formality.
Amunyela said the NQA’s role is to establish whether qualifications are authentic, recognised and comparable within Namibia’s qualifications system, while helping stakeholders identify fraudulent or misrepresented credentials.
“Fraudulent or materially misrepresented qualifications create a false signal of competence,” he said, warning that such credentials can result in unsafe or poor decisions, financial and reputational losses and unfair displacement of honest candidates.
He said the risk is particularly serious in regulated and safety-critical professions, where an individual’s qualifications can directly affect the quality and safety of services provided to the public.
According to Amunyela, decision makers should not rely solely on the title appearing on a certificate when assessing an applicant’s qualifications.
They should confirm the applicant’s identity and documents through authoritative channels and establish whether the institution and programme were appropriately recognised or accredited during the period of study.
He said NQA evaluation helps decision-makers understand the authenticity and status of a qualification and its relationship to the Namibian National Qualifications Framework (NQF).
“Verification before a decision is confirmed is preventive governance, not an afterthought,” Amunyela said.
He urged employers and institutions to consider the learning outcomes, level, workload, field and relevance of a qualification, together with applicable professional, licensing, admission or progression requirements.
The call comes as the NQA continues to modernise the country’s qualifications system.
Amunyela highlighted the launch of the Automated Qualifications Evaluation System in March 2026, the Qualifications Standards Policy and the drafting of a National Policy on Microcredentials as developments aimed at improving the accessibility, security and consistency of qualification evaluation.
He said these initiatives are also intended to provide clearer national standards and support the credible recognition of emerging forms of learning.
Amunyela described qualifications as part of Namibia’s national infrastructure, saying a quality-assured qualification is a trusted indication of what an individual knows and can do.
“Reliable evaluation allows genuine local and international learning to be recognised without lowering standards,” he said.
He further warned that without authoritative evaluation, decision-makers could accept unrecognised or fraudulent qualifications, misunderstand foreign awards or apply inconsistent standards.
Such failures, he said, could expose institutions to legal, financial, safety and reputational risks.
Amunyela called for stronger cooperation between employers, public institutions, education and training providers, professional bodies, unions and student organisations to safeguard the integrity of Namibia’s qualifications system.
He said employers and public institutions should institutionalise qualification evaluation during recruitment and career progression, while education institutions should maintain reliable records and sound admission practices.
Amunyela added that professional bodies have a responsibility to protect entry into regulated occupations, while prospective students should verify that institutions and programmes are appropriately accredited and recognised before enrolling.
However, Amunyela cautioned that efforts to protect standards should not create unnecessary barriers for genuine learners.
“Protecting standards should not create arbitrary barriers, just as widening access should not weaken the evidence on which trust depends,” he said.
He urged stakeholders to strengthen referral and verification protocols, share information on emerging fraud risks and cooperate more closely on qualification verification.
Amunyela said every recruitment, admission and progression decision has implications for Namibia’s future and called for a culture of vigilance and informed decision-making.
“Let us ensure that false credentials do not displace genuine competence, that credible learners are not denied opportunity because their qualifications are misunderstood, and that every recognised qualification contributes to a skilled, ethical and productive workforce,” he said.
