New Telegraph 
African Export-Import Bank’s (Afreximbank) 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), one of the key accreditation bodies in Africa responsible for carrying out conformity assessments as mandated under South Africa’s Accreditation for Conformity Assessment, Calibration and Good Laboratory Practice Act (Act 19 of 2006).
According to a press release, the 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 cli – ents and regulatory authorities.
Compliance with ISO/IEC 17025 demonstrates a laboratory’s commitment to quality, technical proficiency and scientific rigour,” the statement added. Commenting on the accreditation, Ms. Oluranti Doherty, Managing Director Export Development at Afreximbank said that the accreditation served to validate AQAC’s capabilities and expertise and would 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 Ms. 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 had 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.”
