DIRECTORY OF ACCREDITED CONFORMITY ASSESSMENT BODIES IN WEST AFRICA - Ed;N° 4, MARCH L 2020

Dear Reader,

This valuable directory has been published at a timely moment. It is aligned with the strategic direction of the Common Industrial Policy and Quality Policy (ECOQUAL) and other important priorities. The ECOWAS[SR1]  Commission aims to ensure that both public- and private- sector actors have access to a network of accredited providers and suppliers of competitive conformity assessment services in the region.

The directory lists accredited Conformity Assessment Bodies (CABs) including Certification and inspection bodies, testing laboratories and metrology laboratories. The aim of the directory is to enable appropriate access to information on accreditation as well as encourage other CABs to be part of this dynamic exercise.

Through the West Africa Quality System Programme (WAQSP), implemented by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and financed by the European Union (EU), the ECOWAS Commission has supported around 40 CABs to become accredited in their own right (out of the 50 accredited in the region). Simultaneously, the WAQSP has encouraged the establishment of an ECOWAS Regional Accreditation System (RSA). The ultimate goal of these actions is to make accreditation more accessible by developing competent accreditation bodies that are internationally recognized by their peers.  Unfortunately this is not yet the case, since all ECOWAS CABs have been accredited by external accreditation bodies outside the region.

Therefore I would like to take this opportunity to launch an appeal:

  • Firstly, to  CABs themselves, to make accreditation their personal goal in order to guarantee the quality of services offered;
  • Secondly, to accreditation bodies created within the region or those that are in the process of being established, to quickly reach a sufficient operational capability level, in order to deliver the first accreditation services in the sub-region.

With the publication of this directory, which will be updated regularly, users and beneficiaries will now be aware of the most suitable CAB to match their needs. This is an opportunity for me, with the remarkable milestone that 50 CABs have now been accredited in the region, to express my deep gratitude to the European Union and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) for their relevant contributions to these results, particularly the financing, and implementing of, various quality programmes since 2000.

I hope you enjoy making use of the first the directory of accredited Conformity Assessment Bodies (CABs) for West Africa!

Mamadou TRAORE

ECOWAS Commissioner for Industry and Private Sector Promotion

 [SR1]Do you want to write out the acronym for consistency? Others are written out in full.

This program is funded by the European Union with the technical support of UNIDO, the implementing Agency

The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of the Commision of the European Union

Copyright - 2019 - ECOWAS AGENCY FOR QUALITY

DIRECTORY OF ACCREDITED CONFORMITY ASSESSMENT BODIES IN WEST AFRICA - Ed;N° 4, MARCH L 2020 | ECOWAQ

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