US CDC-Supported National Laboratory Equipment Calibration Center in Nigeria attains International Accreditation

Nigeria’s National Laboratory Equipment Calibration Centre (NaLECC), in its efforts to align with international standards and with support from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S. CDC) and funding from the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), has attained ISO 17025:2017 accreditation from the Kenya Accreditation Service. ISO 17025:2017 provides requirements for the competence, impartiality, and consistent operations of laboratories.

NaLECC, a standard laboratory equipment calibration center, was established in 2020 through US CDC funding to strengthen laboratory service delivery in Nigeria. Hosted and administered by the Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria (MLSCN), NaLECC is the first of its kind in the country.

Technical assistance for the establishment and accreditation of the center was provided by U.S. CDC partners, the Africa Society for Laboratory Medicine, the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute, and the Institute of Human Virology, Nigeria. At the event to formally present the accreditation certificate, the Honorable Minister of State for Health Barr. Joseph Ekumankama commended MLSCN and its partners for the significant milestone.

Accreditation certifies that the center provides services that meet ISO 17025:2017 quality standards, a first for a PEPFAR-supported laboratory in Nigeria. It also allows internationally accredited laboratories in Nigeria and across West Africa to have their equipment calibrated in Nigeria rather than outside of the region.

U.S. CDC Country Director Mary Boyd expressed confidence that with continued support to NaLECC, the accreditation would be sustained. She also emphasized the U.S. government’s commitment to prioritizing and sustaining support for quality laboratory services in Nigeria.