Togo HAUQE Meets Businesses on Quality Standards Compliance

Togo’s High Authority for Quality and the Environment, HAUQE, met with business leaders in Lomé on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, as part of its “Brick Fast Quality” initiative on standards and certification. The program aims to help companies incorporate quality standards more systematically into their production and services. It is supported by GIZ through the Alliance for Product Quality in Africa, AfPQ, project. Dr. Koffivi Lakoussan, director general of the Togolese Accreditation Committee, CoTag, within HAUQE, said the program is designed to help companies improve their products and services and meet market requirements. Certification and Export Market Access As trade expands under the African Continental Free Trade Area, AfCFTA, compliance is becoming increasingly important for market access, according to HAUQE. Products sold in regional markets must meet applicable standards and undergo conformity assessment procedures, including inspection and certification. Togo has been expanding its quality infrastructure. In 2026, 17 micro, small and medium-sized enterprises joined a new cohort of the Q-Boost program, which provides support for international certification, including ISO 9001 certification. The first cohort supported 21 companies. In the agri-food sector, 46 national standards and 31 certification programs have also been developed, covering products including soybeans, corn, sorghum, meat and poultry. Meeting these requirements could become increasingly important fo