African Organisation for Standardisation (ARSO) yesterday said less than 10 per cent of intra-African trade and less than three per cent of global trade volume in the African continent was recorded.
Its President, Dr. Joseph Odumodu, spoke at the opening ceremony of the ongoing ARSO Chief Executive Officers Forum in Abuja, stated that 22 countries are attending the programme.
He said: “Africa’s intra and inter trades could only be improved upon through standardisation programmes being championed by the organisation. Through this, the continent would be able to feed itself, reduce poverty and diseases among the people.
“The 9th Ordinary Session of the African Union (AU) conference of Ministers of Trade held in December 2014 in Ethiopia recommended that all AU member-states that are currently not members of ARSO should endeavour to attain membership by year 2017.
“The mobilisation of all NSBs (National Standardisation Bodies) into the membership of ARSO would drive the standardisation programmes necessary for the strengthening of the competitiveness of Made-in-Africa products as well as engender regional and/or continental fusion into an economic block.
“The Abuja forum is also a response to the African leaders 2012 Ethiopia meeting under the theme: ‘Boosting Intra-African Trade (BIAT)’, which agreed to establish a continental free trade area by 2017, as a strategy to boost trade within the continent by at least between 25-30 per cent.
“The continent has not been exception of the increasing movement towards globalisation, the economic trends and patterns that are experiencing dynamic shifts, since intra-African and inter-African trade has evolved greatly over time.”
Odumodu added that trade has had a significant impact on the political, economic and socio-cultural development of African markets, reduction of production costs, improved productivity and reduction of poverty.