On March 6^th, 2026 in Kigali Rwanda Standards Board (RSB) signed Mutual Recognition Arrangements with Agence Congolaise de Normalisation et de la Qualité (ACONOQ) and the Standards Association of Zimbabwe (SAZ). The MRAs were signed under the continental framework initiated by the African Organization for Standardization (ARSO) to harmonize African standards and conformity assessment to enable countries to trade with each other easily and quickly.

Representatives of 32 companies with 78 products certified under ACAP posed for a group photo with officials

RSB signing with ACONOQ

RSB signing with SAZ

ARSO and members have been driving the efforts to inculcate the culture of standards in Africa. Under the coordination role of continental standards body, six countries piloted Mutual Recognition Arrangements (MRAs) aiming to achieve the One Standard-One Test-One Certificate-Accepted Everywhere vision to fast-track the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and promote Africa trading with Africa and south-south cooperation to ease cross-border trade.

The finalized MRAs Framework pioneered by the Republic of Rwanda, Republic of Kenya, Federal Republic of Nigeria, Republic of Ghana, Republic of Zimbabwe and the Republic of South Africa, endorsed by ARSO Members opening up the opportunities for ARSO Members to enter into one-to-one Mutual Recognition Agreement that enable collaboration in standardization and mutual recognition of conformity assessment results to unlock trade transactions between signing member states.

 Following the successful end of the process, Rwanda engaged fellow African Countries namely, the Republic of Congo and the Republic of Zimbabwe and negotiated bilateral technical cooperation frameworks (Mutual Recognition Agreements) to facilitate trade between the cited countries with focus on the use of harmonized African Standards, mutually recognized criteria for conformity assessment and metrology; and promoting Made in Africa as the continent implements the African Continental Free Trade Area (Af-CFTA). 

32 local companies with 78 products were certified under the African Conformity Assessment Programme (ACAP)

In the process of bridging the existing export gaps and challenges, on 16^th June 2026, ARSO signed an Agreement of Understanding with RSB to assist Rwandan SMEs in implementing harmonized African Standards in the agriculture and food sector through product certification. This important initiative was implemented to facilitate the movement of certified products across Africa and enhance intra-African trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Through the signed agreement, ARSO collaborated with RSB to support thirty-two (32) SMEs in Rwanda to acquire the certification of seventy-two (78) food products delivered from sorghum, wheat, maize, potatoes, rice, and honey.

In the welcome remarks, Murenzi Raymond, Director General of RSB, enthused:

“We are celebrating 32 Manufacturers producing 78 products that have demonstrated compliance with the requirements to be traded under AfCFTA framework, such milestone means that standards are not theoretical documents, rather practical tools for trade, competitiveness and trust. The enterprises we recognize were supported through a technical collaboration between ARSO and RSB to position them to demonstrate their compliance to the criteria and procedures of the African Conformity Assessment Programme."

Dr Hermogene Nsengimana, ARSO SG while moderating a High Level Panel onboarding representatives of United Nations Industrial Development Organization in Rwanda (UNIDO), leaders of ACONOQ and SAZ, representatives of the Private Sector in Rwanda and local industry remarked that only collaboration between countries in matters of standardization and conformity assessment using harmonized standards and criteria will make the AFCTFA a success. He urged all countries to follow in the same direction and conclude MRAs as Rwanda, Congo and Zimbabwe did.

ARSO SG moderating high level panel on promoting the African conformity assessment efforts

Officiating at the certificate handover ceremony, Honourable Prudence Sebahizi Minister of Trade and Industry commended the efforts by ARSO and National Standards Bodies to engage in mutually recognized arrangements to simplify processes and requirements that had been impeding trade transactions across the continent and limiting the value of intra-Africa trade. He called for increased diversification of products to focus on more products in different sectors to enable African industry and SMEs to thrive and leverage on the opportunities available at the AfCFTA.

Honourable Prudence Sebahizi, Minister of Trade and Industry, officiating the event

The certification of the products under ACAP programme is aligned with adopted African Standards and the certified products are the pioneers of the recently introduced Made in Africa certification whereby ARSO Certification Mark is coupled with national certification mark to boost market trust and conformity assessment when good cross borders on the continent.

The ceremony to hand over certificates to SMEs and industry saw the attendance of senior officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, leaders of Government institutions and Private Sector as well as representatives of Development Partner organizations supporting standardization and conformity assessment in Rwanda.