News Ghana,
Ghana champions continental standards reform to anchor african free trade
African nations must prioritize harmonized measurement systems to realize the African Continental Free Trade Area’s (AfCFTA) potential, Ghana’s National Metrology Institute Director Prince Isaac Kingsford Arthur declared at the 18th AFRIMETS General Assembly in Accra.
Addressing regional metrology leaders, Arthur warned that political agreements alone cannot ensure trade fairness without technical infrastructure: “AfCFTA will only succeed if our measurements are harmonised, standards aligned, and institutions interoperable.”
He urged tailored standards for agriculture, energy, and health diagnostics to reflect Africa’s unique needs.
Ghana is spearheading this transformation through a German-backed upgrade of its national measurement capabilities. Trade Minister Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare revealed the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) is elevating its metrology services to National Metrology Institute (NMI) status with support from Germany’s Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB).
The overhaul, aligned with Ghana’s 24-Hour Economy export drive, aims to position the country as a regional hub providing internationally recognized calibration services across ECOWAS. “Accurate measurements are the currency of trust,” Ofosu-Adjare emphasized, linking precision to industrial competitiveness and consumer safety.
AFRIMETS President Dr. Henry Rotich highlighted progress in unifying Africa’s measurement landscape, while GSA Acting Director Clifford Frimpong confirmed ongoing investments in labs and partnerships.
The push comes as AfCFTA’s 1.3 billion-person market demands reliable cross-border quality verification. GSA Governing Board Chairman Hudu Mogtari stressed that Ghana’s national efforts must catalyze continent-wide collaboration: “Without shared standards, African trade cannot scale sustainably.”
