Afreximbank Commences Development of African Quality Assurance Center in Nigeria

Afreximbank recognizes the urgent need to support member countries' efforts to enhance their conformity assessment infrastructure to comply with international standards and technical regulations.

The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) has announced the start of project development activities for its second African Quality Assurance Center (AQAC) in Ngor Okpala, Imo State, Nigeria, in collaboration with Bureau Veritas. The launch event, held on June 3, 2024, in Imo State, was attended by His Excellency Senator Hope Odidika Uzodinma, Governor of Imo State. At the event, Afreximbank presented a prototype design for the AQAC project and introduced Bureau Veritas, a global leader in Testing, Inspection, and Certification, 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 developing a conformity assessment center for food, agricultural products, and other goods. This initiative aims to enhance Nigeria and neighboring countries' export capabilities, granting them access to global and regional markets.

"We are not only boosting trade but also fostering economic growth across the continent in line with the Bank’s mandate," said Mrs. Kanayo Awani, Executive Vice President of Intra-African Trade and Export Development at Afreximbank. "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."

The AQACs are expected to expand intra-regional trade under the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) by ensuring that products meet standards and regulations at export destinations within the continent. Mrs. Kanayo highlighted that Afreximbank is working 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, the Bank 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 enhance their conformity assessment infrastructure to comply with international standards and technical regulations. This will promote exports and facilitate both intra- and extra-African trade. Establishing testing laboratories and conformity assessment centers is essential for increasing capacity in offering 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. The goal is to develop world-class, internationally accredited laboratories that offer conformity assessment services and to advocate for African countries to adopt appropriate National Quality Infrastructure. This will help meet international trade standards and improve market access for "Made-in-Africa" products.

Launched in 2017, Afreximbank’s AQAC initiative has committed over $100 million to promote the establishment of internationally accredited facilities across Africa. These facilities will ensure that products made in Africa meet applicable international standards and technical regulations, thereby boosting exports across member countries and fulfilling the Bank’s mandate to finance and promote intra- and extra-African trade.