African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank)’s first African Quality Assurance Centre (AQAC), implemented in Ogun State, Nigeria, in partnership with Bureau Veritas (BV), has been awarded the ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accreditation by the South African National Accreditation System (SANAS).
SANAS is one of the key accreditation bodies in Africa responsible for carrying out conformity assessments as mandated by South Africa’s Accreditation for Conformity Assessment, Calibration and Good Laboratory Practice Act (Act 19 of 2006).
ISO/IEC 17025 is the recognised international standard for testing and calibration laboratories and sets out requirements for the competence, impartiality and consistent operation of laboratories, ensuring the accuracy and reliability of testing and calibration results.
The standard enhances the credibility of testing and calibration work by laboratories by fostering trust among clients and regulatory authorities. Compliance with ISO/IEC 17025 demonstrates a laboratory’s commitment to quality, technical proficiency and scientific rigour.
Commenting on the accreditation, Oluranti Doherty, managing director, export development at Afreximbank, said that the accreditation serves to validate AQAC’s capabilities and expertise and will provide new opportunities to expand the centre’s reach.
“By aligning its practices with international standards and best practices, AQAC is well-positioned to attract new clients, foster partnerships with industry stakeholders, and contribute to the advancement of quality assurance practices in Africa,” said Doherty.
“The impact of this accreditation extends beyond the laboratory as it also contributes to the overall advancement of quality assurance practices in Nigeria. By demonstrating compliance with international standards and best practices, AQAC will help in reducing the rejection rates for Nigerian and African exports,” she said, mentioning that the bank has committed up to $100 million to support the development of new AQACs across the continent, with projects being considered in Benin, Chad, Gabon, Kenya and Tanzania.
Jean-Michel Perret, managing director, Bureau Veritas Nigeria, said: “We are incredibly proud to have achieved the ISO 17025 accreditation for the African Quality Assurance Centre. This milestone reflects our steadfast commitment to providing the highest standards of testing and inspection services. It also demonstrates our dedication to supporting Nigeria’s AgroFood industry in meeting international quality benchmarks, thereby facilitating greater access to global markets for ‘Made in Africa’ products.”
The accreditation by SANAS amplifies AQAC’s ability to offer internationally accredited services for food and agri products and paves the way for a more reliable and robust testing environment in Africa.
SANAS is a signatory to the International Accreditation Forum which gives it world-wide recognition as a body carrying out independent evaluation of certification bodies against recognised standards. It is also a signatory to the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation Mutual Recognition Arrangements, the African Accreditation Cooperation Mutual Recognition Arrangements and the SADCA Mutual Recognition Arrangements, for specific scopes.
