Africa-Press – Liberia. During the visit, the Liberian delegation engaged extensively with GSA’s Management Team, led by Prof. George Agyei, Director-General of the Ghana Standards Authority.
In a significant move to boost Liberia’s quality infrastructure and trade competitiveness, the Liberian Standards Authority (LiSA) with support from the European Union through the Liberian Food Safety Initiative (LiFSI), implemented by UNIDO completed a three-day (October 22-24, 2025) technical exchange visit to the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA), marking a major milestone in strengthening institutional collaboration and capacity development between the two national standards bodies.
The high-level visit led by Madam Magdalene Dagoseh, Minister of Commerce and Industry and Chair of LiSA’s Board and accompanied by Mr. Stephen Mambu, Director-General of LiSA; Mr. Natty Davies, President of the Liberian Chamber of Commerce and LiSA Board Member; and Mr. Isaac Donkor, Chief Technical Advisor to UNIDO for the EU-funded Liberian Food Safety Initiative (LiFSI).
During the visit, the Liberian delegation engaged extensively with GSA’s Management Team, led by Prof. George Agyei, Director-General of the Ghana Standards Authority. Discussions centered on practical approaches to strengthening standardization, conformity assessment, and metrology services. The exchange also explored strategies for aligning national standards with economic growth priorities, particularly in agriculture and food value chains, as well as improving consumer protection and facilitating regional trade within ECOWAS.
The tour provided the LiSA team with firsthand insights into how the Ghana Standards Authority conducts its inspection and certification of bottled water and other food products.
A key highlight of the mission was a field visit to the Special Ice Mineral Water Company, one of Ghana’s leading water bottling facilities. The tour provided the LiSA team with firsthand insights into how the Ghana Standards Authority conducts its inspection and certification of bottled water and other food products. Delegates observed the company’s compliance processes, quality control systems, and the role of GSA inspectors in ensuring that production meets national and international standards. The visit served as a valuable learning experience, demonstrating the practical link between standards enforcement and consumer safety.
The three-day engagement concluded with the signing of a technical cooperation agreement between UNIDO and the Ghana Standards Authority on behalf of LiSA. The agreement establishes a framework for four structured study tours for 17 LiSA technical officers at GSA. The tours set to commence in November and December 2025 will provide hands-on training in testing, standard development, inspection, and certification. These tours aim to enhance the operational capacity of LiSA staff and enable the institution to deliver more effective services in support of Liberia’s national quality infrastructure following the renovation and refurbishment of LiSA labs.
Speaking at the close of the visit, Madam Dagoseh hailed the collaboration as “a step forward in building a stronger, more credible national standards system that underpins industrial development, promotes competitiveness, and protects consumers.”
She emphasized that the partnership reflects Liberia’s commitment to learning from regional peers and applying best practices to strengthen institutions that play a central role in supporting trade and sustainable economic growth.
The visit reinforced the growing South-South cooperation between Liberia and Ghana in the field of standardization and quality assurance. It also aligns with the broader objectives of the EU-funded. Liberian Food Safety Initiative (LiFSI), implemented by UNIDO, which seeks to enhance food safety, improve access to markets, and promote consumer confidence in Liberian products. With this collaboration, LiSA continues to take concrete steps toward transforming Liberia’s standards landscape, ensuring that products “Made in Liberia” meet quality expectations at home and abroad.
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