FAQs
Find quick guidance on common CPN services, including professional registration, examinations, official payments, public verification, downloads, and support channels.
Overview
This page brings together official guidance about CPN, professional registration, examinations, continuing professional development, and the National Skills Qualification pathway in ICT.
Requirements, fees, calendars, and contact details may be updated. Applicants should confirm the latest information through the official CPN website or the relevant Council office before making a payment or submitting an application.
Computer Professionals (Registration Council of Nigeria), CPN, was established by Act 49 of 1993 to regulate, control, and supervise computing practice in Nigeria. The Act was passed on 10 June 1993 and gazetted on 9 August 1993. CPN determines and periodically improves the standards of knowledge and skills required for computing practice, maintains the register of qualified practitioners, and publishes the register as required by law.
CPN is the statutory regulatory body responsible for supervising and controlling computing practice in Nigeria. NCS is a professional association through which computing professionals promote shared interests, interact, and undertake professional-development programmes. CPN and NCS may collaborate on programmes, but they are distinct organisations with different legal roles.
CPN regulates and supervises the computing profession, while the National Information Technology Development Agency implements Federal Government information-technology policy. Their mandates are distinct, although the organisations work within the same national digital ecosystem and CPN nominees represent professional interests on the NITDA board.
Professionals working in or developing a career in information technology may enter through the Affiliate membership cadre and progress to other cadres when eligible. Another route is the three-stage Computer Professionals Examination. A candidate who successfully completes the professional examination may qualify for registration in the Full Member category, subject to current Council requirements.
Individuals and IT firms should complete the appropriate application through the official CPN registration channel. The supplied application fees are N20,000 for individual applicants and N30,000 for corporate applicants. Successful applicants are subsequently advised of the applicable registration charges. Applicants should confirm current fees and eligibility before payment.
The supplied breakdown is: application form, N20,000; Executive Registration Programme, N120,000; registration and induction, N160,000; total, N300,000; subsequent annual fee, N20,000. The applicant should hold a first degree in Computer Science or a related course and have completed NYSC on or before 2019. Confirm the current fees and qualifying year with CPN before applying.
The supplied breakdown is: application form, N20,000; Executive Registration Programme, N120,000; registration and induction, N140,000; total, N280,000; subsequent annual fee, N15,000. The applicant should hold a first degree in Computer Science or a related course and have completed NYSC on or before 2020/2021. Confirm current requirements with CPN before applying.
The supplied breakdown is: application form, N20,000; registration and induction, N130,000; total, N150,000; subsequent annual fee, N5,000. The applicant should hold a first degree in Computer Science or a related course and have completed NYSC on or before 2023. Confirm current requirements with CPN before applying.
No. Foreign professional certifications are not accepted on their own for membership registration in CPN. Applicants should review the current academic, professional, and experience requirements for the membership category they intend to pursue.
The Computer Professionals Examination develops candidates' information-technology knowledge, practical skills, and professional capability. Successful candidates are better positioned to contribute to the profession and compete in the global technology industry.
A principal benefit is professional recognition. The creation of dedicated information-technology cadres within public service structures also supports clearer professional progression and recognition for qualified computing practitioners.
Candidates should use the official CPN examination service at exams.cpnreg.ng for current fees, registration, syllabus, entry requirements, examination stages, and related candidate information.
Mandatory Continuing Professional Development programmes help members and non-members update their knowledge and skills in response to changes in the IT profession. Review the current MCPD calendar on the CPN website or contact the programme coordinator on 08155551599 for participation guidance.
The Nigerian Skills Qualifications Framework (NSQF) structures, classifies, and recognises learning outcomes, skills, and competencies across defined levels, regardless of whether learning occurred in a classroom, workplace, or through self-study. A National Skills Qualification (NSQ) is the quality-assured, work-related qualification awarded when a person demonstrates practical competence against National Occupational Standards.
Academic programmes generally emphasise theoretical knowledge and written examinations. NSQs assess practical workplace performance: what a candidate can demonstrate they are able to do. NSQs are unit-based and competency-driven rather than organised primarily by semesters or time spent in study.
Levels 1-2 generally cover entry-level or assistant roles and basic operational skills under supervision. Levels 3-4 cover skilled craft and supervisory work. Levels 5-6 cover advanced technician expertise, planning, and operational management. Level 7 is managerial, Level 8 is senior managerial, and Level 9 corresponds to chief executive or director-level responsibility.
How long have it been in existance
Within Nigeria's ICT sector, CPN functions as the regulatory Awarding Body. It works with Sector Skills Councils and accredited assessment centres to assess and certify candidates against applicable national standards.
A training provider or Assessment Centre delivers practical instruction and conducts internal assessments. The Awarding Body independently assures quality by deploying External Verifiers, reviewing assessment practice and portfolios, moderating results, and formally issuing NSQ certificates.
The centre should obtain NBTE approval or accreditation as a Training Provider or Skill Development Centre, apply to the ICT Awarding Body for centre registration, and demonstrate suitable hardware, software laboratories, trained Assessors, and certified Internal Verifiers that meet the relevant National Occupational Standards.
The Awarding Body conducts external quality audits, registers qualified Assessors and Internal or External Verifiers, moderates assessment decisions and candidate results, and processes government-recognised NSQ certificates for candidates who have demonstrated competence.
A centre should provide modern workstations and relevant networking or server laboratories aligned with the applicable standards, high-speed internet, reliable backup power, certified Internal Verifiers and Assessors for each trade area, a Centre-Based Training Committee, and documented health and safety procedures.
Quality assurance takes place during initial accreditation, through scheduled moderation visits by External Verifiers, and through periodic unannounced audits. Together these checks confirm that facilities, personnel, portfolios, and live assessment practices continue to meet required standards.
Need More Help?
Use the Contact page to reach CPN headquarters or the appropriate regional office when your question concerns eligibility, current fees, accreditation, payment, or an application already in progress.
