Empowering Journalists to Advance Quality Infrastructure Discourse in West Africa
19 December 2025 - Strengthening public understanding of quality is essential for building competitive economies, protecting consumers, and enabling seamless trade across borders. Recognizing the pivotal role of the media in shaping this understanding, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), under the EU-funded Africa Trade Competitiveness and Market Access (ATCMA) ECOWAS Programme, convened a two-day hybrid capacity-building workshop for journalists and communication officers from across West Africa. The initiative aims to catalyse a lasting quality culture by equipping media professionals to translate complex quality infrastructure concepts into compelling, accessible stories that inform public debate and influence market behaviour.
Held in Abuja on 11–12 December 2025, the workshop is part of a broader, embedded quality culture promotion strategy within the ATCMA Programme. By strengthening journalists’ capacity to report on standards, accreditation, metrology, and conformity assessment, the initiative seeks to trigger systemic change - encouraging greater demand for quality by businesses and consumers, strengthening trust in regional markets, and reducing quality-related non-tariff barriers to trade. This approach is designed not only to generate impact in West Africa, but also to serve as a catalyst for similar initiatives under ATCMA in other African regions.
Funded by the European Union with a budget of €50 million, the ATCMA ECOWAS Programme is jointly implemented by UNIDO and the International Trade Centre (ITC). Its overarching objective is to increase sustainable intra-African and EU–Africa trade by enhancing market access and export competitiveness for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in selected value chains. Promoting a culture of quality is central to this objective, as effective quality infrastructure underpins compliance with standards, market access, and consumer confidence.
Aligned with the EU Global Gateway strategy, the initiative was convened by ECOWAS as part of its commitment to strengthening regional integration, boosting economic competitiveness, and advancing the aspirations of ECOWAS Vision 2050.
Speaking at the workshop, Mr. Massimo De Luca, Head of Cooperation of the Delegation of the European Union to the Federal Republic of Nigeria and ECOWAS, highlighted the importance of creating a functioning single market in West Africa. “The ambition is to enable products and services to move freely across the region,” he said, noting that non-tariff barriers and quality-related measures often hinder trade. He emphasized that journalists play a critical role in bridging the gap between the public and quality infrastructure institutions, thereby strengthening transparency, accountability, and trust.
The ECOWAS Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture, Dr. Kalilou Sylla, represented by Mr. Koissi Midaye, Principal Programme Officer, reaffirmed that quality is no longer optional but a strategic necessity. He stressed that quality infrastructure lies at the heart of economic transformation, public health protection, industrial competitiveness, and cross-border trade—key pillars of ECOWAS Vision 2050.
Throughout the sessions, speakers underscored that media professionals are essential drivers of change in building and sustaining a quality culture. By shaping narratives around quality, compliance, and standards, journalists can influence consumer behaviour, inform policy dialogue, and support the long-term harmonisation of regional markets.
For more information, please contact: Bernard Bau B.BAU [at] unido.org and Christian Lasser C.LASSER [at] unido.org
