The Minister of Trade, Industry, and Handicrafts, Kalil Konaté, received a delegation from the West African Accreditation System (SOAC) at his office on Monday, June 22, 2026. The delegation was led by its Resident Representative in Côte d’Ivoire and Director General, Marcel Gbaguidi. He was accompanied by Tidiane Boye, an honorary member of SOAC, and Olga Kouassi, an administrator.
This meeting provided an opportunity to present the Minister with the SOAC’s activity report for the period 2018-2025. According to Marcel Gbaguidi, this document highlights the progress made in accrediting conformity assessment bodies within the WAEMU region, particularly laboratories, certification bodies, and inspection and verification bodies. “We have now reached approximately one hundred accredited bodies in the WAEMU region,” he emphasized, noting that Côte d’Ivoire was the first country in the sub-region to make accreditation mandatory for these organizations in order to guarantee reliable results, support industry, and protect consumers.
The delegation also presented the international recognitions obtained by SOAC from leading global accreditation organizations. Furthermore, it informed the Minister of the upcoming visit to Abidjan, scheduled for July 24, 2026, by the first President of the new World Accreditation Federation, a first in West Africa, for which the Government’s support has been requested.
On behalf of the Minister, the Director General of Industry, Emmanuel Tra Bi Irié, commended the SOAC for its “satisfactory performance” and congratulated it on the results achieved. He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to supporting this strategic institution, emphasizing that accreditation is a key driver of quality, competitiveness, and trust for businesses in international markets.
The meeting also provided an opportunity to discuss the challenges related to the sustainability and strengthening of the SOAC, both regionally and internationally, to consolidate its role in improving quality infrastructure in West Africa.
