The Rwanda Standards Board (RSB) has intensified efforts to increase awareness about the importance of standards in the development of the country.

Dr Mark Cyubahiro Bagabe, the RSB director general, said the standards awareness campaign will help increase the level of standards awareness, which he said is currently low. 

He added that the campaign will help inculcate a culture of standardisation among the population, especially students, so that they understand the value of standards in addressing global economic, environmental and societal sustainability issues at young age.

He said RSB has been carrying out sensitisation on standardisation among secondary and university students  to achieve this objective.

Bagabe said the standards body and the Rwanda Education Board (REB) are currently working with 10 schools across the country to increase the level of standards awareness among students.

"We are focusing on the young generation as the best vehicle to help cultivate the culture of observing standards among Rwandans to ensure sustainability. If the young people grow with this culture, they will practice it easily,” he said.

Bagabe explained that standards are essential for sustainable trade, both locally and on the global stage. He added that standards also promote businesses, industrial growth, as well as environmental and food safety.

Bagabe argued that encouraging the young generation  to actively engage and participate in standard development  will ease enforcement and control.

He revealed that RSB has so far established standards clubs in different schools as part of the initiatives geared at fostering standards culture among the youth.

He also pointed out that they are developing a curriculum on standards so that standardisation matters are taught in schools.

Meanwhile, Rwandan students are preparing to participate in the annual national standards essay competition.

"The winners will compete at the continental level. Thereafter, the top three students at the African level will travel to South Korea to participate in the global contest,” Bagabe said.

He said the competition is sponsored by the African Organisation for Standardisation, Africa’s intergovernmental standards body at African Union.

Vincent Magambo, the director of studies at Nu-Vision High School, one of the 10 selected schools participating in the competition, said the RSB initiative will motivate young Rwandans to embrace standardisation.