Premier Highlights Expanded Quality Assurance Services with New Laboratory in Dire Dawa

Addis Ababa, March 8, 2026 (ENA)—Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said quality assurance services for manufacturers and service providers in the Dire Dawa area have been expanded with the establishment of a new testing laboratory.

The Premier is inspecting various development and service-delivery projects during his visit to Dire Dawa.

He arrived earlier in the afternoon accompanied by First Lady Zinash Tayachew and received a ceremonial welcome at the airport from local officials.

During the visit, the Premier also reviewed the Dire Mesob One-Stop Center, a facility currently providing digital government services to citizens across approximately 73 service areas.

Built on more than 3,000 square meters of land, the center features a five-story building with a terrace and is designed to improve the efficiency and accessibility of public services.

In a social media post following his visit to the Ethiopian Conformity Assessment Enterprise Dire Dawa branch, the Prime Minister noted that, in addition to previously available services linked to the region’s free trade zone and dry port operations, the new laboratory will improve access to testing and certification services for businesses in the area.

“The Ethiopian Conformity Assessment Enterprise is a government organization that provides quality assurance services for products and services. It operates based on international procedures and systems, delivering certification services to manufacturers, service providers, exporters, importers, regulatory authorities, research institutions, and the wider consumer community,” he noted.

According to Abiy Ahmed, the facility will provide quality assurance testing for a wide range of products, including edible oils, petroleum and fuel products, food items, cosmetics and detergents, as well as construction materials and industrial inputs.

The initiative is expected to strengthen standards compliance and support local industries by ensuring product quality and safety.