SON Conformity Assessment Programme for Exports to Nigeria (SONCAP)

The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has implemented a strict set of guidelines for exports to Nigeria called the Standards Organisation of Nigeria Conformity Assessment Programme (SONCAP).

SONCAP verifies the conformity of all products exported to Nigeria except those that appear on the Excluded Product List and enforces their standards. Compliance to the requirements of SONCAP is applicable in addition to any existing import processes.

In January 2013, the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) officially released a new SONCAP process with a completely revised conformity assessment structure. The programme is a set of conformity assessment and verification procedures applicable to all products imported into Nigeria except those under the exemption list.

The requirements for SONCAP include:

• Every consignment of imported goods which contains regulated products must be accompanied by a Certificate of Conformity / SONCAP Certificate issued by an Independant Accredited Firm, such as Intertek. This CoC / SC is electronically transmitted to SON's portal.

• The Certificate of Conformity (CoC) / SONCAP Certificate (SC) confirms that the products comply with the relevant Nigerian technical regulations and approved international/regional/national standards.

• SONCAP Certificate (SC) is a mandatory document used by the Nigerian Customs Services for clearance of goods going to Nigeria.

• SON's e-certificate is now integrated into the NICIS (Nigeria Integrated Customs Information System) and CBN Information System using the SINGLE-WINDOW. The integration of SON’s e-Product Certificate and SONCAP Certificate will enhance the approval of Form M (for general merchandise) and PAAR (Pre-Arrival Assessment Report) which are mandatory documents for Customs clearance of the goods at the port of entry.

The SONCAP Certificate is required to ensure smooth Customs clearance of shipments arriving in Nigeria.

All products are regulated under the new SONCAP Structure with the exception of those products that are listed in the CBN circular as below:

• Food Products
• Drugs (Medicines)
• Medical Products (other than equipment and machines) 
• Chemicals used as Raw Material by bonifide manufacturers
• Military Ware and Equipment 
• Goods classified as contraband by the Federal Government of Nigeria
• Used products other than automobiles

Additional details on the SONCAP procedure and a list of Regulated Products currently requiring SONCAP certification are available at www.exports2nigeria.com

You can now activate your SONCAP or Product Certificate here