By Adedapo Adesanya
The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) has announced the commencement of project development activities of its second African Quality Assurance Center (AQAC) in Ngor Okpala, Imo State, Nigeria, as part of efforts to help Nigeria and neighbouring countries boost their exports and gain access to global and regional markets.
The bank showcased a prototype design for the project and introduced Bureau Veritas, a Testing, Inspection and Certification firm, as the technical partner to support the operations and management of the facility at the launch ceremony in the southeastern state on June 3.
The Governor of Imo State, Mr Hope Odidika Uzodinma, lauded the project and said it will serve as a testament to Nigeria’s export capabilities.
The AQAC Imo State will build on the successes achieved with the pilot AQAC project launched in Ogun State in 2022, by developing a conformity assessment centre focused on food, agri products and other goods.
Speaking on the project, Mrs Kanayo Awani, Executive Vice President, Intra-African Trade and Export Development Bank, Afreximbank said the lender sees an urgent need to support member countries’ efforts to improve their conformity assessment infrastructure to comply with international standards and technical regulations to promote exports and facilitate intra- and extra-African trade.
“The commencement of project development activities of the AQAC in Imo State marks a significant step forward in Afreximbank’s mission to enhance Nigeria and the continent’s export potential. By ensuring that “Made in Africa” goods and products meet international standards and technical regulations at export markets, we are boosting trade and fostering economic growth across the continent in line with the Bank’s mandate,” she said.
To improve the hard quality infrastructure, African countries will need to establish testing laboratories and conformity assessment centres to increase their capacity in offering testing, inspection, and certification services. The AQACs are also expected to expand intra-regional trade under the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) by ensuring products meet standards and regulations at export destinations within the continent.
Mrs Kanayo noted that for AQACs to achieve this objective, Afreximbank is collaborating with several stakeholders, including the African Organization for Standardization (ARSO) to harmonize standards in key sectors including textiles, apparel, leather and gastronomy.
So far, the bank and ARSO have harmonized over 500 standards in the automotive, medical, and pharmaceutical equipment sectors.
Afreximbank launched the AQAC initiative in 2017, committing over $100 million to promote the establishment of internationally accredited facilities across Africa that offer testing, inspection and certification services as well as training in conformity assessment.
According to the Cairo-based bank, these accredited facilities will ensure that products made in Africa meet applicable international standards and technical regulations thereby boosting exports across member countries and promoting Intra and Extra African trade.