The Bedrock of African Quality
Our Identity
The Pan-African Quality Infrastructure (PAQI) is the continental platform for all matters related to standardization, metrology, accreditation, and conformity assessment. Established in August 2013, PAQI was created to provide a unified voice for Africa in the global quality landscape and to serve as a technical engine for the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
By harmonizing quality policies, PAQI ensures that African goods and services are competitive globally, fostering regional integration and improving the quality of life for all African citizens.
Our Mission
To strengthen the regional and global competitiveness of Africa’s goods and services through the prudent use of standards, measurements, conformity assessment, and accreditation.
Our Vision
To be an efficient, effective, sustainable, and internationally recognized PAQI contributing toward the achievement of African socioeconomic goals.
The Four Pillars of PAQI
PAQI is a collaborative union of four lead continental organizations, each specializing in a critical component of Quality Infrastructure (QI):
- ARSO (African Organisation for Standardisation)– An intergovernmental body formed in 1977 to harmonize standards and implement conformity assessment systems to enhance trade capacity.
- AFRIMETS (Intra-Africa Metrology System) – Established in 2006 to promote the harmonization of scientific, industrial, and legal metrology, ensuring accurate measurements across Africa.
- AFRAC (African Accreditation Cooperation) – A cooperation of accreditation bodies that facilitates trade by providing internationally recognized acceptance of conformity assessment results (testing, inspection, and certification).
- AFSEC (African Electrotechnical Standardisation Commission) – A subsidiary of the African Energy Commission (AFREC) dedicated to improving access to electricity through harmonized electrotechnical standards.
Our Strategic Objectives
- Aligning quality infrastructure with the Abuja Treaty to facilitate the free movement of goods and services.
- Developing and implementing African policies on Standards, Measurement, and Accreditation to support economic and environmental sustainability.
- Providing timely technical solutions that reduce Technical Barriers to Trade (TBTs) and enhance the competitiveness of African SMEs.
- Representing the African continent in international quality forums (ISO, IEC, OIML, ILAC, IAF, etc.).
- Securing resources and expertise to strengthen national quality infrastructure systems in all 55 African Union Member States.
Why Quality Matters for Africa
Quality infrastructure is not just about technical rules; it is about people. It ensures that the water we drink is safe, the energy we use is reliable, and the products we export are accepted in every market around the world. Through the synergy of our four pillars, PAQI is building a foundation of excellence that transforms African resources into high-value global products.
Contact Us
PAQI Joint Committee Secretariat
Located at: ARSO Central Secretariat, 3rd Floor, International House, Mama Ngina Street
P. O. Box 57363-00200, Nairobi, Kenya
Email: secretariat@paqi.org | info@paqi.org
Web: www.paqi.org