The Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) says it has begun taking steps to establish a Fit-For-Future National Metrology Institute by the year, 2023.

The Project aims at strengthening the capacity of the GSA, the National Metrology Institute (NMI) in Ghana as well as enhancing their measurement capability to meet the requirements of the scientific community and strengthen consumer protection.

A national metrology Institute ensures that a country can measure accurately and reliably. The establishment of the fit-for-future National Metrology Institute (NMI) in Ghana, will support the improvement of the country’s measurement capabilities.

The fit-for-future NMI when completed is expected to aid local companies and research institutions in Ghana to access a broader range of metrological services. Measurements in Ghana will then be traceable to national standards and the results will be internationally recognized.

Speaking at a stakeholder consultative workshop, Director General of GSA, Prof. Alex Dodoo said to facilitate the progress of the project, the Authority will also develop a business plan to ensure its sustainability.

“What we are doing with the support from the PTB of Germany is that we are establishing a fit-for-purpose national measurement institute to look at 3 things,

1. DO we have all the standards that we need to service the industry?

2. Do we have the human resources and the capability to ensure that there are no gaps?

We also want to have a business plan to ensure that we run in a sustainable manner” Prof. Alex Dodoo said

We want to ensure that both consumers and producers agree on what measurements are whether locally or internationally” Prof Dodoo added.

The Project Coordinator for PTB which is one of the partners of the project, Carola Heider outlined what the project has achieved so far since its inception in 2020 saying the program has “by now achieved need analysis of the economy here in Ghana, what is needed as additional services and calibration capabilities”.