Mombasa: The Africa Quality Mark (AQM) was unveiled during the 32nd African Organisation for Standardization (ARSO) General Assembly meeting in Mombasa, in a major step towards easing cross-border trade and eliminating costly barriers across the continent.
According to Kenya News Agency, stakeholders contend that the AQM will go a long way in enhancing intra-African trade by assuring product safety, reducing technical barriers, and cutting border delays. The AQM, also known as the ARSO Dual Mark, is a unified continental certification system designed to authenticate product quality and eliminate duplicate testing under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). The QR-code-enabled AQM will make digital verification easier for consumers and regulators while facilitating the seamless movement of products between African nations.
The AQM will signify that products sold in ARSO Member States have been assessed and found to meet high safety, health, performance, and environmental protection requirements. Deputy President Prof. Kithure Kindiki, who officially unveiled the AQM, said it will remove technical barriers to trade by allowing products certified in one African nation to move across borders without undergoing repeated inspections.
Prof. Kindiki emphasized that Africa’s economic sovereignty and wealth creation are the remaining frontiers of the continent’s liberation and freedom. He noted that increased trade within Africa, with its population of 1.4 billion people and a combined gross domestic product of 3.4 trillion dollars, will help realize the aspirations of a free and prosperous continent. However, barriers posed by multiple product quality inspections and standardization requirements are slowing the pace of cross-border trade.
The Deputy President also highlighted the importance of harmonizing standards to boost the competitiveness of local goods across the African continent under the AfCFTA. He called on National Standards Institutions to hasten the development of harmonised, mutually recognised quality standards that will enable seamless market access for goods produced in one African country across the entire continent.
Cabinet Secretary for Investments, Trade and Industry, Lee Kinyanjui, said harmonizing standards will facilitate the seamless movement of goods across the continent. He noted that intra-African trade currently stands at only 17 percent, yet African countries conduct up to 70 percent of their trade with markets outside the continent.
Kenya Bureau of Standards Managing Director Esther Ngari said mutual recognition of standards will ensure that goods tested and certified in one African country face fewer repetitive inspections when crossing borders. She added that harmonized standards can strengthen competitiveness, unlock market access, and drive Africa’s economic transformation.
ARSO President and Botswana Bureau of Standards Managing Director, Botsile Kebapetse, emphasized that Africa, under Agenda 2063 and the AfCFTA, is poised to achieve a transformative agenda for the continent. ARSO Secretary General Dr. Hermogene Nsengimana reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to developing standards that support trade across the continent.
Additionally, National Standards Council Chairperson Chris Wamalwa stated their commitment to providing strategic oversight to KEBS and supporting efforts to align Kenya’s standards with regional and international benchmarks. Governor Abdulswamad Nassir concluded by highlighting the challenges Africa faces, including low intra-African flights due to numerous restrictions and barriers.
