The federal government has called for a comprehensive standard for goods and services to boost the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement (AfCFTA).
The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Doris Uzoka-Anite, made the call in Abuja on Wednesday at the 30th General Assembly of the African Organisation for Standardisation (ARSO) hosted by the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON).
“Standardisation is not merely about setting guidelines, it is about fostering a quality culture and ensuring that our products and services meet international benchmarks, enhance competitiveness and facilitate trade. It is about creating a unified market where quality is the norm, not the exception. This vision of One Market, One Standard is integral to achieving the aspirations of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).“
Subsequently, the focus on made-in-Africa gives credence to one of Africa’s greatest positive lessons from COVID-19, which is the need to focus on Africa’s regional value chains and the competitiveness of made-in-Africa products, export-oriented manufacturing, value-addition and the quality infrastructure (standardisation) to boost intra-African trade, industrialisation and self-reliance.
