MOGADISHU (Dawan Africa) – The Turkish Maarif Foundation’s international schools in Somalia have been officially accredited by OxfordAQA, making them the first educational institutions in the country authorized to offer and administer internationally recognized IGCSE and A-Level exams.
The announcement was made today by the Turkish Embassy in Mogadishu, which confirmed that the Maarif schools in Somalia are now officially recognized as an international examination center.
“This significant achievement marks us as the first educational institution in Somalia to receive international accreditation. Furthermore, our school has been authorized as an official exam center for IGCSE and A-Level assessments,” the Embassy said in a public statement.
OxfordAQA is a global education provider that offers internationally benchmarked qualifications such as IGCSE and A-Level, based on the British curriculum. It is a joint venture between Oxford University Press and the UK’s Assessment and Qualifications Alliance (AQA), and its certificates are recognized by top universities and employers worldwide. The accreditation of Maarif means Somali students can now sit for these exams locally — an opportunity that previously required travel to neighboring countries such as Kenya or Ethiopia.
Education observers note that the development marks a key milestone in Somalia’s effort to rebuild its education infrastructure and expand access to global academic standards after decades of disruption.
The Turkish Maarif Foundation has operated schools in Somalia since 2017, offering both local and international curricula. The number of Somali students expected to participate in the exams or the start date of the first exam cycle has not yet been disclosed.
OxfordAQA qualifications are widely accepted by institutions across the UK, Europe, North America, and Asia, providing Somali students with new academic and career pathways previously out of reach.
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