Best Africa LogisticsShipping from China to Africa
Nigeria requires certificates for listed products before export. We check your products before booking, not at the port.
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Updated: August 2026
SONCAP (Standards Organisation of Nigeria Conformity Assessment Programme) is the Standards Organisation of Nigeria's mandatory conformity assessment for imports. Products on the mandatory list must obtain a PC (product certificate) before shipping; an SC certificate is then issued from it and presented at import clearance. Whether a product is on the list depends on its HS code and use, and products not on it don't need certification. Send us the product name and HS code and we'll check.
Best Africa Logistics
Freight forwarder from China to Africa: sea and air freight door to door with duties included, product certificates for your country, and five warehouses in China to combine and store goods.
Lagos / Kano / Port Harcourt
Third-party testing fees and official certification fees are charged at cost and passed on as incurred.
| Certification | Authority | Products covered | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| SONCAP (PC + SC) | Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) | Industrial and consumer goods on the mandatory list | PC before shipping, SC after departure |
| NAFDAC registration | NAFDAC | Food, drinks, medicines, cosmetics, supplements | Product registration before import |
| Form M | Authorised bank / Central Bank of Nigeria | All imports | Applied for before shipping |
| PAAR | Nigeria Customs Service | All imports | Issued before arrival |
Check result in 1-2 working days
We need the product name, use, material, HS code, and any test reports or quality certificates you already have. From these we judge whether it's on the SONCAP mandatory list or needs NAFDAC registration.
We set out which certification is needed, which tests, how many samples, the approximate timeline and the cost breakdown. If the product isn't on the mandatory list, we tell you directly that no certification is needed.
Samples are prepared and sent to an accredited body for testing. If a test fails, we explain the non-conformities and you decide whether to fix or adjust the product.
Once testing passes, the PC certificate is applied for from the accredited inspection body; the SC certificate can only be issued after it.
The SC certificate is used for import clearance together with the bill of lading, invoice and packing list, with the information kept consistent across all documents.
Alhaji SaniLighting products distributor“Once they received the goods they checked the product documents first. Whatever needed to be added was listed clearly.”
It depends on three things: which tests are needed, whether samples arrive on time, and the accredited body's schedule. Simple products with few tests are quicker; anything involving safety performance tests takes noticeably longer. We give the current reference timeline in the plan but don't promise a fixed number of days, because the bodies' schedules are outside our control. We suggest starting certification while the goods are in production.
A mandatory-list product without SONCAP cannot pass the compliance review at Nigerian clearance. The goods stay at port, running up heavy storage and container detention charges, and in serious cases are returned or confiscated. Certifying after the fact usually costs far more time and money than doing it before shipping. We don't recommend or assist with any way around certification.
Yes. NAFDAC requires product registration for imported food, drinks, medicines, cosmetics and supplements; unregistered products can't be legally cleared or sold. Registration is per product and needs the formula, label, manufacturing licence and test reports. It takes a while, so start early.
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Best Africa LogisticsShipping from China to Africa
Not sure what to send? A product name and your destination city are enough to start. We send a quote within 30 minutes, the same day.
