About

Standard Engineering Laboratory Africa (SELA) is a Liberian engineering testing and quality-assurance company. We give contractors, consultants, government agencies and development partners independent, traceable evidence that the ground and the materials in their projects meet specification — onshore, without the cost and delay of sending samples abroad.

Registered: Standard Engineering Laboratory Africa (SELA), Inc., incorporated with the Liberia Business Registry on 19 June 2024  |  Headquarters: Block 8, Marshall City, Margibi County, Liberia

Why SELA exists

Liberia is in the middle of its largest public works programme in recent history — over US$925 million is committed under the Ministry of Public Works Five-Year Strategic Plan (2025–2029), while only about 8.7% of the national road network is paved. Every road, bridge and building in that programme depends on reliable testing of soils, concrete, steel and asphalt.

Today that testing is split between government laboratories, university laboratories, project-based site laboratories and small informal operators — none of them accredited. Verification samples on donor-financed projects are often shipped to Ghana, South Africa or Europe, adding cost and weeks of delay. SELA was founded to close that gap with an independent, standards-based laboratory in Liberia.

How we work

• Independence — we report what the tests show, for clients, contractors and supervising engineers alike
• International standards — ASTM, AASHTO, BS EN and ISO methods, with a quality system that follows ISO/IEC 17025 principles
• Traceability — documented procedures and a full chain of custody for every sample
• Local knowledge — experience with Liberia’s lateritic soils, high rainfall and local construction materials
• Clear pricing — quotations with every cost included, so there are no surprises

Our four laboratories

• Environmental, GIS & Urban Resilience Laboratory — environmental monitoring, geospatial analysis and climate-resilient planning support
• Geotechnical & Soil Investigation Laboratory — soils, foundations, slope stability and subsurface investigation
• Building Materials Laboratory — concrete, cement, steel and masonry
• Transport & Pavement Laboratory — aggregates, bitumen, asphalt and pavement design

Read more about our expertise across the project lifecycle.

From vision to reality: our laboratory complex

The future home of SELA is taking shape. Our Advanced Engineering Laboratory Complex is being developed on a 12-acre site in Marshall City, Margibi County.

This is more than a building. It is the foundation of a vision for civil engineering materials testing in West Africa — every laboratory space has been designed with one purpose: to deliver precision, accuracy and excellence to every project we touch.

The laboratory design is complete and site works are under way. As the complex comes on line, SELA is working towards formal ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation. Watch this space.

Leadership

Eric Gabriel Jenn-Judgges, CE, PMP® — Founder & Managing Director

Eric is a Liberian transport and civil engineer with more than 15 years of experience in transport planning, road safety and infrastructure development across West Africa, including a decade of public service with Liberia’s Ministry of Public Works. He has supported projects financed by the World Bank, the African Development Bank, UNDP and the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development, and holds advanced degrees in Transport Economics Engineering and Geotechnical Engineering. He is a Professional Engineer in Liberia and Executive Director of Road Safety Action International.

Partners

SELA has worked for the Ministry of Public Works and the Rural and Renewable Energy Agency, alongside consulting firms including FRED Engineering (Italy), Geoskope Limited and Liberia International Construction, and partners with GeoAfrika (South Africa) on current bids. See our project experience.