The African Development Bank (AfDB), through the Programme for Improving Fisheries Governance and Blue Economy Trade Corridors in the Southern African Development Community Region (PROFISHBLUE), has donated advanced laboratory equipment to the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Bureau of Standards. The handover, conducted on 22 August, included nearly two dozen items such as calibration weights, water distillers, and centrifuge tubes. This upgrade will allow the DRC to carry out accurate, internationally recognized testing on fish and fishery products, addressing critical infrastructure gaps identified in the SADC Regional Gap Analysis Study, particularly in human resources and laboratory capacity.
Edson Mpyisi, the Bank’s Chief Financial Economist, emphasized that the initiative goes beyond providing equipment, aiming to empower national institutions to protect consumers, enhance trade, and drive economic growth. Strengthening quality assurance systems, he noted, lays the foundation for a more integrated and food-secure Africa. The PROFISHBLUE project has already supported sustainable fisheries management, improved food and nutritional security, facilitated intra-regional trade, and increased adaptive capacity across the 16 SADC countries involved, with an expected creation of 250,000 direct and indirect jobs through value chain activities.
The program provides comprehensive support through standardization programs, processing and marketing infrastructure, fishing strategies, and training, thereby enhancing competitiveness in retail and cross-border fish trade. Dr. Hermogene Nsengimana, Secretary-General of the African Organisation for Standardisation (ARSO), highlighted that equipping the DRC’s Bureau of Standards ensures fisheries products meet continental and international benchmarks, advancing African integration under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Standardization is a key step in harmonizing norms across Africa, enhancing trade and consumer protection.
Despite the SADC region’s waters hosting numerous commercially valuable species such as tuna, hake, squid, octopus, horse mackerel, abalone, shrimp, prawns, and lobster, total production remains below 3 million tonnes annually, representing only about 2% of global output. PROFISHBLUE, which concludes in December 2025, seeks to safeguard public health, ensure high product quality, and expand regional and international market access. The equipment donation demonstrates the strength of partnerships between the AfDB, the Government of the DRC, ARSO, and SADC, while providing a model for replication across Africa in harmonizing standards and strengthening intra-continental trade.
Mpyisi concluded that this initiative represents an investment not only in technology but also in people, prosperity, and Africa’s shared future, reinforcing the role of strategic collaboration in driving sustainable economic and social development.
