African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) has announced the commencement of construction of the Africa Quality Assurance Centre (AQAC) in Ogun State, Nigeria. 
The Centre will be a state-of-the-art facility with the capacity to offer testing, certification, inspection, and training services covering agricultural products. 

It is the first in a series of Quality Assurance Centres that Afreximbank intends to establish across Africa to support industrialisation across the continent by ensuring that African products are manufactured to international standards and enabling them to participate in intra-African and global trade. 

First-class quality infrastructure is considered critical in facilitating trade under the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA).

Construction of the Ogun State AQAC commenced on 25th February 2021. The Centre, which is expected to commence operations by the second quarter of 2022, will provide more than 400 jobs in the local area, including over 180 in the highly skilled areas of quality assurance, testing, inspection, and certification. In addition, an on-site training academy will provide the public and private sector with training in standards and quality assurance, as well as the skills necessary for businesses to compete in regional and international markets. The AQAC is strategically located on a 5-hectare plot of land allocated by the Ogun State Government along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. 
The project site is 65km from Lagos, Nigeria’s main port city and commercial capital, and 75km from Ibadan, a major commercial and industrial hub in south-western Nigeria. It is also at the center of a region known for export agriculture.

Prof. Benedict Oramah, President of Afreximbank, stated thus: “African businesses are set for a major step-change as the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) opens up new markets across the continent and the globe. To make their mark in countries around the world, African products must meet international standards. 
The AQAC in Ogun State will help deliver the highest quality African goods, strengthening their competitiveness and providing confidence to buyers. This is an important step, not only in underpinning the ‘Made-in-Africa’ brand but as a driver for greater exports, increased manufacturing and more resilient economies across the continent.”