AfCFTA : SON harps on Harmonisation of standards across Africa

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AfCFTA : SON harps on Harmonisation of standards across Africa

* Calls for adoption of continental standards for movement of goods across African borders

The Director-General, Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Mallam Farouk Salim, has charged standards bodies in Africa to harmonise standards and broker mutual agreements to ensure the success of Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA).

Salim made this known in a statement during the opening ceremony of African Organisation for Standardisation (ARSO) 65th Council meeting in Accra.

He also urged them to promote faster adoption of the continental standards to facilitate movement of goods across African borders and with the rest of the world without inhibition.

This, Salim said, would ensure that standards are not used as technical barriers to free intra and inter-African trade.

”The Continent’s political leaders have done their bit by signing the agreement, thus passing the challenge of successful implementation to the technocrats”, he said.

He added :
“The task for the agreement to work rests on the standard bodies and we commend the role being played by African Organisation of Standardisation (ARSO), particularly in the development and harmonisation of continental standards by member states of the organisation”.

The SON DG disclosed that Nigeria in collaboration with ARSO recently organised a virtual Stakeholders’ awareness forum on 43 automobile African standards.
He said the standards are in the process of adoption as Nigerian Industrial Standards.

Salim commended the impressive participation of stakeholders from Nigeria in the forum, even as he enjoined them to voluntarily update the standards after adoption.