Lomé, June 5, 2026 – The mission of the West African Accreditation System (SOAC) to Lomé marked a key moment with the presentation of the SOAC 2018–2025 Assessment report to Dr José Kwassi Symenouh, President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Togo (CCIT). This meeting was an opportunity to raise awareness in the private sector of the importance of accreditation for the competitiveness of businesses and the quality of the products and services offered.
Alongside this presentation, the CCIT kindly made its training room available for a series of events. This included the anticipated celebration of World Accreditation Day (WAD) 2026, whose theme this year is: “Innovation, sustainability, trust, the power of accreditation”. Although traditionally commemorated on June 9, the JMA was celebrated in Lomé on June 5 on the sidelines of SOAC's participation in the ECOWAS Quality Infrastructure Forum. Around a hundred participants attended the presentations. The celebration this year is being held in the particular context of the launch of GLOBAL ACI (Global Accreditation Cooperation Accreditation Incorporated) resulting from the merger of the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) and the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC).
A highlight of these discussions was the detailed presentation of the state of implementation of the STDF PG 770 program: “Use of digital tools to improve compliance with food safety standards in West Africa”. This program, which occupies a prominent place on the central page of the SOAC assessment report, was highlighted for its crucial role in the modernization of control and certification systems, essential to guarantee food security and support the region's exports.