Mutual Recognition of Expertise Framework

The European Union has thrown its weight behind efforts by the East African Community to harmonize and mutually recognize academic and professional qualifications among partner states in its regional integration efforts. In a project dubbed ‘LIFTED’, the partnerships with the EU allows the community’s ambition of talent that knows no borders to catch up on policy frameworks. This complements the vision of the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement to enhance the free movement of ideas, services, and skills beyond that of goods and people.

The partnership focuses on the operationalization of the Annex VII of the EAC Common Market Protocol on mutual recognition of academic and professional qualifications. This move presents an opportunity to address one of the most persistent non-tariff barriers to trade in services: the siloed recognition of professional credentials. However, nowhere is this more urgent than in the sectors driving Africa’s digital and financial revolution: information technology, fintech, and finance.

A departure from Legacy Professionals

The enforcement of the agreement is traditionally geared towards the prioritization of legacy professionals such as accountancy, engineering, architecture, and veterinary science. However, the future of East Africa and Africa’s economy is increasingly digital. This is a sign that the framework will need to account for software engineers, blockchain developers, data analysts, or digital finance experts to avoid the risk of institutionalizing a skills bottleneck in sectors that have the greatest potential for transformation.

While Kenya has cemented its reputation as a leader in Africa’s startup ecosystem, other East African partners including Kigali and Kampala are emerging as regional innovation hubs, with homegrown fintech start-ups solving local problems with global potential. Many high-demand roles in digital fields — such as UX design, ethical hacking, cloud engineering, and data science — do not fall under traditional “regulated” professions. Mobile money, credit scoring algorithms for mobile usage, and digital wallets are being built by Young East Africans. While they may not have studied in one country, they are building products for use across borders.

“Mutual certification recognition progress would allow the EAC to set pace for how other Regional Economic Communities harmonize qualifications in the emerging sectors.”

However, the struggle of these innovators when seeking employment, collaboration, and funding among other EAC partners, and the lack of prioritization in the ‘LIFTED’ and Annex VII are a concern. Many skilled youths in the region acquire their knowledge through bootcamps, online courses, or industry certifications (AWS, Google, Microsoft) rather than universities. Qualifications and licenses obtained in Kenya may not be automatically recognized in Tanzania or Rwanda especially in these emerging tech-driven sectors. This fragmentation discourages mobility, stifles collaboration, and ultimately weakens the promise of a regional market and as such recognition systems must include pathways for evaluating non-traditional certifications, not just degrees.

An Imperative for Continental Trade and Integration

Accelerated operationalization of Annex VII would change that. The recognition of ICT and finance-related qualifications across the region is a precursor for unlocking the much-needed exchange of expertise across the partner states. Software developers in Rwanda could more easily consult on projects in the newly joined Somalia while Tanzanian digital finance experts could lead cross-border projects with South Sudanese banks. A Ugandan blockchain certification could be recognized in Burundi. The result? A seamless pool of talent powering regional integration from the cloud up.

Fintech sector is one of the promising sectors with potential for East Africa| Image by Ivan Samkov via Pexels

The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) expands on this opportunity. Although the EAC is focused on the sub-regional blueprint, the AfCFTA opens the door for continental mobility in skilled labor through the Protocol on Trade in Services and expected protocols on digital trade and intellectual property. Thus, a mutual recognition progress would allow the EAC to set pace for how other Regional Economic Communities harmonize qualifications in the emerging sectors. AfCFTA’s upcoming protocol on digital trade presents an opportunity for EAC to lead in modeling how digital credentials and remote competencies can be mutually recognized.

Acceleration of Ideas for the Future

Mutual recognition is not just about the free movement of people. It borders on the acceleration of the spread of ideas, technologies, and businesses. A regional think tank that hosts a data governance conference with EAC-certified experts from the eight nations or a fintech product that complies with regional standards for cybersecurity and digital identity is a win for the region. These can be the practical dividends of qualification recognition frameworks to enhance trust, speed up innovation, and build institutional muscle for truly integrated services markets.

However, mutual recognition Agreements require trust between institutions, transparency in credentialing systems, and a political will on steroids. In fields like IT and Fintech where professional associations are less established than on legacy professions, EAC Partner States must work collaboratively to define what constitutes a “recognized qualification.” The private sector and civil society, particularly among youth and professional associations must also be included in the shaping of the standards.

Integrating the Potential of the Young

It is, however, encouraging that the EAC has already become with this work in select legacy professional areas. The LIFTED project support for implementation of Annex VII specifications is a signal that recognition of services trade is no longer a future aspiration but a priority. However, these must be expanded to include the digital economy and its variations whether through standalone ICT mutual agreements or updates to the existing frameworks.

The recognition that the comparative advantage of the East African Nations lies in the young, dynamic, and increasingly tech-savvy population is an imperative in policy formulation and implementation. As we move toward full implementation of both the EAC Common Market Protocol and AfCFTA frameworks, we must view mutual recognition not as a technical compliance issue, but as a strategic lever for growth. By empowering talent to flow freely across borders, we don’t just lift individuals; we lift the region.

These are the writer’s own opinions and do not necessarily reflect the viewpoints of Liberty Sparks. Do you want to publish in this space? Contact our editors at [email protected] for further clarification.