1. Nigeria — SONCAP

What it is and what it covers

SONCAP (SON Conformity Assessment Programme) is Nigeria's mandatory pre-shipment conformity programme, run by the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) to keep unsafe and substandard imported products out of the country. Regulated products are verified and tested in the country of supply, before shipment (SON FAQs). It covers most SON-regulated imported finished goods — product groups include electrical and electronic products and fittings, chemical products, textiles, footwear, toys and childcare products, mechanical products and automotive spare parts (Bureau Veritas Verigates; Applus). The official exemption list covers food products, medicines, medical items other than equipment and machines, chemicals used as raw materials by bona fide manufacturers, contraband goods, and used products other than automobiles (SON FAQs).

Every regulated import needs two documents: a Product Certificate (PC) and a SONCAP Certificate (SC). The PC is issued to the exporter and is used to open the importer's Form M; the SC is issued to the importer, covers one consignment only, and is used to process the PAAR for customs clearance (SON FAQs).

Step-by-step process

1. Importer groundwork (Nigeria side): the Nigerian importer registers and activates their FIRS Tax Identification Number (TIN) on the national trade portal — no SONCAP processing is possible without it (SON FAQs).
2. Choose an Independent Accredited Firm (IAF): SON has appointed eight IAFs (including Bureau Veritas, CCIC and Cotecna) to run the offshore assessment on its behalf; they perform inspection, sampling and testing and issue test reports, PCs and SCs (SON FAQs).
3. Get the Product Certificate (PC) via the IAF, under one of three routes based on exporter profile — Route A/PC1 Unregistered (valid 6 months, single use), Route B/PC2 Registered (12 months, multiple use), Route C/PC3 Licensed (12 months, multiple use) (SON FAQs; ICA guide). Assessment can include physical pre-shipment inspection, sampling and lab testing in accredited laboratories, audit of production processes, and documentary checks (SON FAQs). Route A shipments get 100% inspection and testing; Route B requires inspection/testing of at least 40% of consignments per quarter; Route C is for manufacturers only and adds factory audits and surveillance (HQTS; Applus SONCAP route summary).
4. Open Form M: the importer applies for the CBN Form M and attaches the PC (SON FAQs).
5. Get the SONCAP Certificate (SC) for the actual shipment through the same IAF, after satisfactory goods verification (and container stuffing/sealing where required) (SON FAQs; Applus). If the goods fail, the IAF issues a Non-Conformity Report (NCR) instead and the goods cannot be exported to Nigeria under the scheme (SON FAQs).
6. PAAR and clearance: the importer applies for the NCS PAAR attaching the SC, processes the Single Goods Declaration (SGD), and SON Port and Border Operations clears the consignment (SON FAQs).

Published SON fees (confirm current amounts before budgeting): PC1 USD 500, PC2 USD 1,000, PC3 USD 2,000, new product USD 350, amendment USD 100, NCR USD 350, and USD 350 per SC (SON FAQs). SON states PCs and SCs are normally generated within 96 hours, or 24 hours when all qualifying documents and test reports are submitted on time and products comply (SON FAQs).

Who does what

• SON — owns the programme, sets the rules, appoints the IAFs, and handles port/border operations in Nigeria (SON FAQs).
• IAF (certification body) — performs the offshore conformity assessment and issues test reports, the PC and the SC (SON FAQs).
• Exporter — applies for the PC through an IAF and is named on it; coordinates inspection/testing in the country of supply (SON FAQs).
• Nigerian importer — holds the FIRS TIN, opens Form M with the PC, receives the SC in their name, and runs PAAR/customs clearance (SON FAQs).

Documents typically required

Request-for-Certificate form with product list/designation and importer/exporter details; existing conformity documents (third-party certificates, test reports, analysis reports); factory site inspection report if available; manufacturer's/exporter's quality management system certificate if available (Bureau Veritas SONCAP flyer); and for PAAR: Form M, final invoice, bill of lading and, where applicable, the NSA End User Certificate (SON FAQs).

Common pitfalls and delays

• Shipping before certification: SONCAP is an offshore, pre-shipment scheme and cannot be processed after the consignment has left the country of origin; the fallback "SONCAP Default" is charged at 20% of CIF value or ₦2 million, whichever is higher (SON FAQs).
• Arriving without an SC: regulated goods that reach Nigeria without a SONCAP Certificate are in violation of the regulations and are subject to detention, testing and possible destruction at the importer's expense (SON FAQs).
• PAAR mismatches: PAAR activation is rejected when the HS code or number of items differs from the PC, when declared quantity or value exceeds what the PC approved, or when required documents are missing or in the wrong format (SON FAQs).

Official links — verify and apply here

• SON (Standards Organisation of Nigeria): https://son.gov.ng — FAQs incl. fees and process: https://son.gov.ng/faqs/
• SONCAP importer portal (named on SON's own site): https://soncap.son.gov.ng/
• Nigeria trade portal (TIN/Form M/PAAR): https://www.trade.gov.ng

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