By Kruah Thompson
MONROVIA, Liberia, 16 February 2026: A newly established facility of the Liberia Requirements Authority (LiSA) is predicted to deal with longstanding well being considerations attributable to poor-quality drinks and expired commodities circulating on the Liberian market, officers say.
The laboratories are designed to guard customers and enhance nationwide product requirements by scientific testing and verification.
On Thursday, February 12, 2026, LiSA Deputy Director Normal for Technical Providers, Mr. Emanuel Mayors, led journalists on a tour of the brand new laboratories forward of subsequent week’s official dedication by President Joseph Nyuma Boakai. Accompanied by heads of High quality Requirements, Metrology, and Testing departments, Mr. Mayors defined how every unit will function, assuring reporters that almost all tools is already within the storage facility and scheduled for set up earlier than formal commissioning.
The tour started within the Metrology Division, the place its head, Mr. Williams, described two branches: Authorized Metrology and Industrial and Scientific Metrology. He mentioned Authorized Metrology focuses on measurements used for commerce, whereas the scientific department ensures testing accuracy. Utilizing rice for instance, he famous that many 25-kilogram baggage offered in the marketplace lack unbiased verification.
He mentioned area groups will gather samples to substantiate measurements and forestall client exploitation by a newly created Pre-Bundle Verification Unit.
Journalists additionally visited the Testing Division, headed by a feminine director, which incorporates the Meals Chemistry and Macro Meals Testing laboratories. She defined that the models will study meals and drinks for security, together with chemical and heavy metallic contamination. Unsafe merchandise will probably be faraway from circulation, whereas items exceeding permitted substance ranges will probably be rejected or disposed of to stop public well being dangers.
Particular emphasis was positioned on the Water Laboratory, which can assess ingesting water offered in Liberia, and the Macro Residue Laboratory that checks chemical residues in domestically grown meals corresponding to potatoes and cassava leaves. In accordance with the director, extreme chemical use in farming typically goes undetected, however the brand new labs will be certain that merchandise reaching customers are secure for human consumption.
The tour concluded with a press briefing by LiSA Director Normal Hon. Stephen Y. Mambu, who introduced that President Boakai will formally launch LiSA on February 19, 2026, transitioning it into Liberia’s autonomous nationwide requirements physique. The ceremony will embrace commissioning the rehabilitated headquarters, unveiling Liberia’s first Nationwide High quality Mark, and adopting LiSA’s 5-12 months Strategic Plan (2025–2029), marking the top of a transitional interval following the 2022 LiSA Act.
Mr. Mambu mentioned the refurbished facility, funded by the €7 million European Union–backed Liberia Meals Security Initiative applied by UNIDO, options upgraded laboratories, hybrid power techniques, improved sanitation, and borehole water provide. Seventeen technical employees accomplished specialised coaching in Ghana in meals security testing, calibration, and ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation preparation, positioning LiSA to control markets and defend customers.
As a part of actions main as much as the presidential launch, LiSA scheduled stakeholder engagements, together with a private-sector open day, an academia-and-regulators discussion board, a improvement companions roundtable, and a nationwide consciousness marketing campaign on client safety and anti-counterfeiting. The authority additionally unveiled a brand new company identification, together with its brand, Nationwide High quality Mark, and Certification Mark, meant to guarantee compliance in home and export markets.
