COLEAD attends ARSO General Assembly in Abuja, Nigeria

COLEAD attends ARSO General Assembly in Abuja, Nigeria.

From 19 to 21 June, COLEAD through the FFM+ and AGRINFO programmes, participated in the 30th ARSO (African Organisation for Standardisation) General Assembly in Abuja, Nigeria, under the theme “Educate an African fit for the 21st Century – Building a Quality Culture – One Market – One Standard”. The event provided a platform for ARSO members and stakeholders to discuss strategies for effective partnerships in ensuring quality infrastructure in Africa. COLEAD played an interactive role during the three day event and participated in several sessions:

• Building a Quality Culture – One Market – One Standard
• The role of harmonised standards and conformity assessment in promoting intra-African trade
• Africa Quality Policy – Is it a Game Changer in Promoting Made in Africa Products?
• Partnerships for effective quality infrastructure in Africa

Key highlights and discussions

Sessions highlighted the importance of standardisation as a tool for sustainable development in the 21st century. A coherent regulatory framework addressing the need for “one market – one standard” was seen as essential for regulatory cooperation. COLEAD highlighted the need to build a quality culture in Africa, targeting policy makers, consumers, MSMEs, regulators, youth and women. The focus was on capacity building and well-coordinated training activities across the agricultural value chain.

David Sodade, representing COLEAD, addressed the General Assembly by highlighting the critical role of building a quality culture and fostering collaboration to achieve the common goals of the AfCFTA (African Continental Free Trade Area) and beyond.

The General Assembly theme highlighted the status and opportunities for partnerships to address the challenges of quality infrastructure in Africa. Discussions focused on creating awareness of how quality has become a determinant in trading systems, affecting the acceptance of products in markets based on compliance with quality and safety requirements.

Several key issues were discussed during the interactive sessions, focusing on how international standards facilitate global trade and the benefits for Africa in the context of the AfCFTA agreement. Discussions explored how harmonised standards and conformity assessment promote market access within a single African market under the TBT (Technical Barriers to Trade) Annex 6 and SPS (Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures) Annex 7.

COLEAD contributions and resources

The conference concluded with an open partnership session where COLEAD presented its activities and resources, including Agrinfo and other COLEAD’s technical resources such as the e-learning platform, the e-library and the market analytics/dashboards’ section. These resources are open access tools, showcasing over 20 years of expertise in the agrifood sector throughout OACPS member countries and beyond.

This activity is supported by the Fit For Market Plus (FFM+) programme, implemented by COLEAD within the Framework of Development Cooperation between the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) and the European Union; and by the AGRINFO programme, implemented by COLEAD and funded by the European Union (EU). This publication receives financial support from the European Union and the OACPS. The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of COLEAD and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Union or the OACPS.