An innovative, new wood and furniture testing centre in Ghana has officially been commissioned by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) with support from the Government of Switzerland through the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO).

Located at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) – Forestry Research Institute of Ghana (FORIG), in Fumesua in the Ashanti Region, the Centre will ensure trade facilitation and support the Government’s efforts in promoting industrialization across all sectors.

The Wood and Furniture Testing Centre (WFTC) is the first of its kind in the West African sub-region and the third in Africa, following Egypt and South Africa, allowing Ghanaian and imported wood and furniture products to be tested to ensure they meet the required trade standards for consumer use and protection.

Entrepreneurs in the wood industry will now be able to conduct tests to determine the strength of the materials used in producing wood products, including the bonding quality of plywood, and the durability, stability and strength of tables and chairs.

These tests determine the lifespan of wooden products and their ability to perform the functions for which they are designed, and will help to ensure durable wood products in the Ghanaian and global market.

The UNIDO Country Representative to Ghana, Fakhruddin Azizi noted that “The UNIDO-SECO partnership has given fruitful results in Ghana and the TCB Programme is truly a flagship example of confidence and trust between strategic partners.”

He encouraged CSIR – FORIG to effectively manage this wood and furniture facility to achieve sustainability and ensure that it creates positive lasting impact for the wood and furniture sector in Ghana and in the global market place.

Daniel Lauchenauer, representing the Embassy of Switzerland in Ghana, emphasized the important contribution the new centre can make towards the enhanced international competitiveness of Ghana’s wood and furniture sector and with this, to a much needed increased diversification of the economy, in line with the objectives of the government of Ghana.

“It is my hope that our support to CSIR – FORIG has a much greater impact and leverages existing government strategies such as the One District, One Factory (1D1F) to go a long way in supporting the wood and furniture industry in Ghana effectively,” added Azizi.

Voltic Togo