Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, 15–17 October 2026

The ECOWAS Commission, through its Directorate of Private Sector and Industry, held the 12^th meeting of the ECOWAS Conformity Assessment Committee (ECOCONF), dedicated to strengthening regional quality infrastructure, business competitiveness and trade facilitation.

Organised as part of the implementation of the ECOWAS Quality Policy (ECOQUAL), this meeting received support from the Trade Competitiveness and Market Access Programme (ATCMA)- ECOWAS component, funded by the European Union and jointly implemented by the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) and the International Trade Centre (ITC).

The Committee reviewed the applications for accreditation submitted by national certification bodies. Following this review, a provisional list of national certification bodies that met the eligibility criteria to issue the regional ECOQMARK label was drawn up for the relevant product categories.

The meeting also reviewed and approved the regional programme for the certification of the competencies of designers, installers and inspectors of off-grid solar photovoltaic systems, presented by the Ecowas Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE) with a view to supporting the region’s efforts to promote renewable energy.

Participants also discussed measures for compliance of West African products with voluntary sustainability standards, to serve as a further driver of competitiveness and access to regional and international markets.

Among the key conclusions, it was agreed that ECOQMARK must become a credible symbol of quality that benefits both producers and consumers, whilst strengthening confidence in products manufactured in West Africa.

The Committee therefore recommended that the Commission continues its efforts to strengthen the technical capacities of Member States’ certification bodies, promote the ECOQMARK and foster a culture of quality in the region, with a view to supporting the realisation of the regional economic integration agenda, the strengthening of intra-Community trade, industrialisation, competitiveness and inclusive and sustainable development.

On behalf of Mr. Delphue Yenpea Zuo, Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture,

Mr Peter Okonkwo Oluonye, Acting Director of the Private Sector and Industry Sector, reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to building a credible, inclusive and effective regional quality infrastructure, serving the protection of consumers, industrialisation, intra-community trade and the promotion of West African products on international markets.