Sierra Leone’s quality infrastructure forges ahead with UNIDO project

Under the project of increasing Sierra Leone’s Competitiveness through Enhanced Productivity and Trade Compliance in Value Chains of Cassava, Cocoa and Palm Oil, UNIDO is working to strengthen institutional, technical and human resource capacities of national institutions to ensure that all food producers have access to reliable and efficient quality infrastructure services (QIS). Objectives of QIS include promotion of agricultural development while managing safety, consumer protection, plant and animal health, with particular attention to issues related to cross-border activities and trade.

Since March, 2019 international experts and UNIDO officers have been working on several fronts to support QIS in Sierra Leone. For the first time, management certification body is being established at Sierra Leone Standards Bureau (SLSB) per ISO/IEC 17021-1:2015 standard. Moreover, food testing and calibration laboratories at SLSB are being accredited as per ISO/IEC 17025:2017. These actions will improve quality of products and services in Sierra Leone as well as allow their easier entry to regional and international trade through market acceptance and recognition. Finally, trainings and courses were held for SLSB staff members in July and August, 2019 to increase their awareness of several international standards as well as develop their skills in their implementation.

The project is a component of the West Africa Competitiveness Programme. To read more click here.

Contact: J.DIAZ-CASTILLO [at] unido.org (J[dot]DIAZ-CASTILLO[at]unido[dot]org)