(JUBA) – The South Sudan National Bureau of Standards (SSNBS) has pledged to ensure that local products meet international quality requirements so they can compete in regional and global markets.
Speaking during the World Food Programme (WFP) IGNITE Food Systems Innovation Challenge awards on Tuesday, the Bureau’s Executive Director, Gloria Nyoka Joseph, said the agency is committed to supporting local innovators and businesses.
“We want to work closely with you so that products from South Sudan do not remain only in the local market,” she said. “They should be able to cross our borders and reach the region and beyond.”
Nyoka said the Bureau’s role is to make sure quality and safety are achieved during the production and processing of goods. She stressed that proper standards are the foundation for competitiveness.
She described certification and quality marks as vital for South Sudan’s exports. “Having a quality mark for our products is like having a passport to another country,” she explained. “It allows South Sudanese products to move freely across borders.”
The Executive Director said the Bureau’s mandate includes setting standards, certification, and conformity assessment. This involves testing products and confirming that they meet required safety and quality levels. She added that the Bureau’s work is also linked to improving South Sudan’s economy by building trust in locally made goods.
Nyoka also thanked development partners for working with the government to support sustainable growth. “Your support is important in helping South Sudan achieve its goals for sustainable development,” she said.
She encouraged local entrepreneurs to view recognition at innovation challenges as the start of a long journey rather than the end. “Winning is not the end,” she said, “it is the beginning of a bigger milestone.”
Recently, the Bureau of Standards received public praise for blocking the entry of substandard food products into South Sudan, a move widely welcomed as a step towards protecting consumers and strengthening national quality control.