The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) has announced the commencement of project development activities for its second African Quality Assurance Center (AQAC) in Ngor Okpala, Imo State, Nigeria. This initiative is in collaboration with Bureau Veritas, a global leader in testing, inspection, and certification.
The launch event, held on June 3, 2024, in Imo State, was attended by His Excellency Senator Hope Odidika Uzodinma, Governor of Imo State. During the event, Afreximbank showcased a prototype design for the AQAC project and introduced Bureau Veritas as the technical partner to support the facility’s operations and management.
Building on the successes of the pilot AQAC project launched in Ogun State in 2022, the Imo State AQAC will focus on conformity assessment for food, agricultural products, and other goods. This center aims to help Nigeria and neighboring countries enhance their export capabilities and gain access to global and regional markets.
Speaking at the event, Mrs. Kanayo Awani, Executive Vice President of Intra-African Trade and Export Development at Afreximbank, stated, “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 not only boosting trade but also fostering economic growth across the continent in line with the Bank’s mandate.”
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. Awani highlighted 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 such as textiles, apparel, leather, and gastronomy. To date, Afreximbank and ARSO have harmonized over 500 standards in the automotive, medical, and pharmaceutical equipment sectors.
Afreximbank recognizes the urgent need to support member countries’ efforts to improve their conformity assessment infrastructure to comply with international standards and technical regulations. This is essential to promote exports and facilitate both intra- and extra-African trade. To enhance the hard quality infrastructure, African countries will need to establish testing laboratories and conformity assessment centers, thereby increasing their capacity to offer testing, inspection, and certification services.
Through the AQAC initiative, Afreximbank is mobilizing financial and technical resources, in collaboration with governments, the private sector, and development partners, to develop world-class, internationally accredited laboratories offering conformity assessment services. The Bank also advocates for African countries to adopt appropriate National Quality Infrastructure to meet international trade standards and improve market access for “Made-in-Africa” products.
Launched in 2017, the AQAC initiative has seen Afreximbank commit over US$100 million to promote the establishment of internationally accredited facilities across Africa. These facilities offer testing, inspection, and certification services, as well as training in conformity assessment. These accredited centers ensure that products made in Africa meet applicable international standards and technical regulations, thereby boosting exports across member countries in fulfillment of the Bank’s mandate to finance and promote intra- and extra-African trade.
