Standardization is the process of formulating,issuing and implementation of standards.Modern standardization became a recognized norm since early 20 th century and obtained significant attantion with the increased growth of industry,mass production,trade expanision and cosumer needs.

In Ethiopia ,the need for standardization became evident during earily 1950's as it was noticed that export of agricultural commudities was being affected due to lack of the support of standaridation.Following the emergency of Addis Ababa, the capital  of Ethiopia as amodern city, it was also noticed that there is an urgent need for standardizationof building , electrical appliances and water suplies, especially in the new Univeristy campus- Addis Ababa Univeristy,faculity of science. these were among the problems which are worth monitoring and that have led the way through to creating national standardization body, which happened in 1972.

Ethiopia has had a National Standards Body (NSB) since 1970, when the Ethiopian Standards Institute (IES) was established "to promote standardization and quality control activities in the national economy. IES was transformed in 1987 into the Ethiopian Authority for Standardization.

(EAS), at which time its scope was broadened to include metrology, quality assurance, and certification. In 1998, EAS was itself restructured, continuing as the Quality and Standards Authority of Ethiopia (QSAE). Then, in 2010, following the radical re-structuring of the Ethiopian national quality infrastructure, QSAE was in turn broken up into a number of new bodies, one of which was the Ethiopian Standards Agency (ESA).

ESA was established as Ethiopia’s NSB in February 2010 by Council of Ministers Regulation No. 193/2010. An office of the Ethiopian federal government, it operates autonomously while remaining accountable to the Ethiopian Ministry of Science and Technology, which in 2018 changed to the Ministry of Trade and Industry. The strategic direction of ESA is approved by the National Standardization Council (NSC), which also channels into ESA the strategic guidance of bodies such as the NQI Technical Committee (NQITC) and the National Science, Technology, and Innovation Council (NSTIC).

Ethiopian Standards Agency became Ethiopian Standards Institute (IES) following the re-establishment of a new institutional arrangement for the Federal Government, Proclamation Number 1263/2021, and accountable for the Ethiopian ministry of trade and regional integration.

The powers and duties of the institute under other laws and the designation is changed under this proclamation shall continue to be carried out with the changed designation in accordance with the establishment laws and other laws.