Cameroon and Nigeria yesterday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to combat the importation of substandard products into the two countries as well as boost trade and investment relations between them.

Director General of the Standards Organisation of Ni¬geria (SON), Dr. Joseph Ikem Odumodu, signed on behalf of Nigeria while his Stan¬dards and Quality Agency of Cameroon (ANOR) coun¬terpart, Mr. Charles Booto, endorsed for his country at an event held in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.

Odumodu, who is also the President of African Organ¬isation for Standardisation (ARSO), explained that the MoU was meant, “to foster closer working relationship that would bring the two countries together using stan¬dards.”

According to him, the agreement would help im¬prove both countries’ econo¬mies by removing all technical barriers to trade and also enhance trade volumes between them.

“Today is indeed marking a turning point for our businessmen who seek and desire removal of hindrances to free flow of goods and services.

Beyond signing this MoU, a faithful implementation of all aspects contained therein is expected to benefit our coun¬tries in fostering regional in¬tegration using standards,” he stressed.

The SON Director General, who said cordial relationships exist between the two coun¬tries contrary to negative re¬ports in the media, disclosed that over eight million Nige¬rians presently live in Camer¬oon and stressed the need for both countries to harmonise quality standards issued by their standards bodies in ac¬cordance with international and regional specifications to remove technical barriers to trade.

Odumodu added that his focus as the ARSO president is to ensure the integration of Africa’s regional economies through the common lan¬guage of standardisation, add¬ing that this would be ratified during the forthcoming gen¬eral assembly of the organisa¬tion in Kigali.

Also speaking, the Direc¬tor General of ANOR, Booto, underscored the common de¬sire to facilitate and upgrade mutual technical cooperation in the fields of standardisation and conformity assessment activities between both coun¬tries.

Booto, who maintained that SON and ANOR would not compromise standards, noted that signing of the MoU would help the agencies pur¬sue and achieve their targets.

In his remarks, the Cam¬eroonian Ambassador to Ni¬geria, Saloa-Heddine Abass, said Nigeria is the biggest trade partner of Cameroon, expressing hope that imple¬mentation of the agreements reached would enhance the trade volume between them within a short time.