Gonet Academy Deepens Regulatory Compliance

—Advances AITB Competency Licensing Drive

Gonet Academy is advancing its efforts to strengthen institutional compliance and quality assurance in Liberia’s Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) sector, following the commencement of the Agricultural and Industrial Training Bureau (AITB) competency licensing process for TVET institutions.

Representing the Academy, Founder and Chief Empowerment Officer (CEO) Mohammed Kerkulah and Administrative Coordinator T. Davidson Zleh visited the AITB headquarters at the MVTC Compound in Paynesville to obtain the application form, institutional requirements and guidelines for the competency licensing process.

The latest engagement marks another stage in Gonet Academy’s broader effort to align its operations, programs and institutional systems with Liberia’s evolving regulatory framework for technical and professional education.

Kerkulah said the institution welcomes the licensing process as part of its commitment to quality, accountability and continuous institutional improvement.

“We believe that quality training must be supported by strong standards, credible accreditation, regulatory compliance, and continuous improvement,” the Academy said.

Gonet’s regulatory journey engaging with education and training regulators predates the current AITB licensing process.

Under its parent institution, GonetAfrica, Inc., the Academy received formal recognition from the Ministry of Education in June 2022. That initial accreditation remained valid until June 2023, while renewal subsequently became affected by the 2023 elections, administrative transition and reforms within the national accreditation system.

The regulatory environment changed further in 2024 as the Ministry of Education undertook reforms aimed at restructuring and standardizing accreditation for TVET institutions.

During that period, Gonet Academy engaged the AITB. In September 2024, the institution received authorization from the Bureau to operate as a technical training institution offering certificate and diploma programs.

The Academy had earlier, in August 2024, formally written AITB seeking authorization to operate as a recognized technical training institution. AITB responded in September, explaining that the government was undertaking a broader TVET reform and developing national standards that would guide institutional licensing and compliance.

That engagement effectively positioned Gonet Academy within the government’s evolving TVET regulatory framework.

Gonet Academy also engaged the National Commission on Higher Education (NCHE) as part of efforts to clarify the regulatory boundaries governing professional certificate and diploma programs.

The Academy met with NCHE leadership on June 25, 2025, to provide documentation, clarify its institutional status and explore the appropriate regulatory pathway under the Commission’s evolving framework.

That engagement was significant because Gonet Academy’s programs are primarily focused on professional certificates and diplomas rather than associate, undergraduate or graduate degrees.

The following day, the Academy submitted its Letter of Intent to the NCHE and, following acknowledgment on the 27th, filed the complete application with all required documents for licensing and accreditation under the Commission’s framework.

A few months later, the commission wrote the Academy on December 2, noting that it was placing a temporary hold on the processing of all applications for licensure and accreditation.

“The temporary suspension is part of an ongoing internal policy review and regulatory harmonization exercise aimed at strengthening the higher education quality assurance framework,” the letter, signed by NCHE Deputy Executive Director for Quality Assurance and Compliance, Rev. Solomon Jallayu, noted. “A formal announcement will be issued once the review process is completed and normal procedures resume.”

Gonet Academy has since described its regulatory posture as one based on cooperation with the various government agencies responsible for education, technical training and quality assurance.

The Academy’s regulatory journey reached another significant milestone in November 2025, when it received a Certificate of Accreditation from the Ministry of Education under the Ministry’s new national TVET accreditation framework.

The accreditation, issued on November 5, 2025, followed institutional assessment and verification conducted by the Ministry and the Center of Excellence for Education Administration, Certification, Accreditation & Licensing (CEEACAL). The assessment examined the Academy’s legal documentation, governance, facilities, curricula, training methodologies, facilitator qualifications, student protection mechanisms, quality assurance systems and financial compliance.

Kerkulah described the accreditation as “a powerful confirmation” of the Academy’s commitment to quality, integrity and national standards.

The development also gave Gonet Academy a stronger institutional foundation as Liberia continues efforts to standardize and professionalize its TVET sector.

AITB Licensing: The Next Compliance Frontier

The current AITB competency licensing process represents a further step beyond general recognition and accreditation.

By obtaining the application and requirements, Gonet Academy has formally positioned itself to undergo the institutional assessment, inspection, verification and compliance procedures required under the Bureau’s competency licensing framework.

On August 20, 2026, the Academy submitted a formal Letter of Intent to AITB, reaffirming its readiness to participate in the licensing process.

The significance of the process extends beyond Gonet Academy itself. Liberia has increasingly identified TVET as an important component of workforce development, particularly as the country seeks to address unemployment, skills gaps and the mismatch between formal education and labour-market requirements.

A credible regulatory system can help distinguish institutions that merely offer training from those capable of demonstrating appropriate facilities, qualified instructors, relevant curricula, sound governance and effective quality-assurance systems.

The AITB process, for Gonet, comes as the institution continues expanding its professional and technical training portfolio.

The Academy offers programs in areas including project management, monitoring and evaluation, human resource management, procurement and contract management, logistics and supply chain management, banking and finance, digital productivity, data analysis, entrepreneurship, public relations and media strategy.

Its stated objective is to provide practical and industry-relevant skills that can contribute to employment, entrepreneurship and professional advancement.

The institution has trained thousands of Liberians since its establishment, making questions of quality assurance and regulatory compliance increasingly important as its learner base expands.

Against that background, the current AITB licensing process can be viewed not simply as another administrative requirement but as part of Gonet Academy’s effort to institutionalize its operations and demonstrate conformity with national standards.

The Academy remains committed to completing the AITB competency licensing process and to ensuring that its programs, facilities, systems and training delivery continue to meet applicable national requirements.

“We welcome the AITB competency licensing process and the broader efforts of the government to strengthen, regulate, and standardize the country’s TVET sector,” the CEO said.

The latest development therefore represents more than the collection of an application form. It is the newest chapter in a regulatory journey that began with Ministry of Education recognition in 2022, continued through AITB authorization in 2024, included engagement and application with the National Commission on Higher Education in 2025, and was followed by national TVET accreditation under the Ministry of Education’s revised framework.

As Liberia seeks to build a stronger skills-based economy, institutions such as Gonet Academy will increasingly be judged not only by the number of people they train, but also by the credibility, relevance and regulatory integrity of the education they provide.

Completing the AITB competency licensing process, Kerkulah noted, would be an affirmation of Gonet’s stated commitment to quality, credibility and institutional excellence.