What is a SONCAP certificate and how do you get one?
Most exporters searching for a SONCAP certificate think they need one document. They need two, and the second one is not even theirs to hold. A SONCAP certificate is what lets regulated goods clear Nigerian customs under the Standards Organization of Nigeria Conformity Assessment Program (SONCAP).
Behind that single name are a Product Certificate for the exporter and a SONCAP Certificate for the importer, both of which are secured before the goods leave the country of export.
SONCAP applies only to imports into Nigeria. Other markets run their own conformity programs, and SONCAP is one example of the broader shift toward pre-export screening at origin.
Product Certificate vs SONCAP Certificate: what’s the difference?
Most people search for “a SONCAP certificate” as if it were one document. It is two, and each does a different job.
Product Certificate (PC) | SONCAP Certificate (SC) | |
|---|---|---|
What it covers? | A product or product range, tested against the applicable standard | One consignment of listed goods |
Issued to | The exporter | The importer |
What it is for? | Proving the product meets the Nigerian Industrial Standards (NIS) or an approved equivalent | Clearing that specific shipment through Nigerian Customs |
Validity | Six months for a single shipment if the product is unregistered; 12 months, multiple use, if registered or licensed | One consignment only |
Role in Form M | Used by the importer to open Form M | Issued once Form M and the shipment details are in place |
Some conformity assessment bodies and guides call the shipment-level document a “Certificate of Conformity” (CoC). In most cases, they mean the SONCAP Certificate.
MANCAP vs SONCAP
The difference is origin:
MANCAP (Mandatory Conformity Assessment Program) covers products manufactured inside Nigeria.
SONCAP covers products imported into Nigeria.
Both are run by the Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON) and check goods against the same Nigerian Industrial Standards. If you are shipping goods in from outside Nigeria, SONCAP is your program.
How to get a SONCAP certificate?
Product testing (exporter): Samples are tested against the applicable NIS or an approved equivalent by a laboratory the conformity assessment body accepts.
Product Certificate issued (exporter): The conformity assessment body reviews the test reports and product documents, then issues the PC.
Form M opened (importer): The Nigerian importer uses the PC to open Form M, the mandatory pre-import record, through an authorized dealer bank.
SC application and inspection (exporter): The exporter applies to the PC, the commercial invoice, the packing list, and the Form M details. The conformity assessment body then inspects the consignment in the country of origin.
SC issued and activated (importer): The SC is issued for that consignment, and the importer activates it on Nigeria’s National Single Window for the arrival declaration and customs clearance.
Which products need a SONCAP certificate?
Products are covered when SON has declared their standards compulsory. Unless a product appears on the exemption list, assume it is in scope.
Regulated:
electrical and electronic products
toys
chemicals and chemical products
building and construction materials
furniture
mechanical devices, machinery and automotive parts
Exempt:
food products
medicines
medical products other than equipment and machines
chemicals used as raw materials by bona fide manufacturers of food and medicines
goods classified as contraband by the Federal Government
used products other than automobiles
Food, medicines, and medical products are exempt because they fall under NAFDAC registration. SON maintains the list and revises it, so confirm the current position of your product before you ship.
SONCAP certificate cost and timeline
The cost
No fixed price exists, because the appointed conformity assessment bodies set SONCAP costs per product and per consignment. Five things drive the cost:
Product category: the applicable standard decides what has to be tested.
Test reports: reports you already hold can be reused if they cover the right standard; otherwise testing starts from scratch.
Certificate type: a one-shipment PC and a 12-month registered PC are priced differently.
Product lines: more lines and SKUs in a consignment mean more to test and certify.
Assessment body and value: each conformity assessment body sets its own charges, and the FOB value of the consignment also counts.
The timeline
SON says certificates are usually issued within 96 hours once complete documents and compliant test reports are submitted. In practice, the timeline depends on:
Testing: this is usually the longest stage.
Classification: testing against the wrong standard means the tests have to be repeated.
Form M: the importer needs it in place before the SC stage.
Importing into Nigeria without a local importer
The SONCAP process assumes there is an importer in Nigeria. Steps 3 and 5 belong to that importer, and an exporter shipping into Nigeria for the first time often does not have one.
As your importer of record, we take on those importer-side steps: Form M, certificate activation, and customs clearance. Your conformity assessment body handles testing and certification. We are not a freight forwarder. We are not a customs broker. We are the entity of record. We are also not a conformity assessment body: we do not test products, inspect consignments, or issue certificates.
Final thoughts
SONCAP is often treated as one certificate and one step. In practice, it is two certificates handled by two parties at two stages.
The exporter proves the product, and the importer clears the shipment. Knowing which side owns each step, and having the test reports ready before the process starts, is what keeps a consignment moving.
Certified at origin, cleared on arrival
Your conformity assessment body certifies the product, and we take care of the import side.
We open Form M, activate your certificates, and clear every consignment as importer of record, so your SONCAP Certificate leads straight to release.
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The SONCAP Certificate covers one consignment only. The Product Certificate is valid for six months and one shipment if the product is unregistered, or for 12 months with multiple use if the product is registered or licensed.
Yes. Activation is done on Nigeria’s National Single Window, and the importer does it, not the exporter. Since March 2026, SONCAP certificate activation for Form M and customs clearance has run on that platform.
Nigerian Customs cannot clear the consignment, and goods held at port incur build-up costs. SON also treats activation requests for goods already at a Nigerian port as defaults, which attract penalties.
Certificates are issued by SON-appointed conformity assessment bodies and recorded on SON’s systems. You can confirm a certificate through SON or with the body that issued it. SON’s roster of appointed bodies changes, so check current appointments with SON.
Yes. Electrical and electronic products are regulated, so they need SONCAP certification. Testing and certification take place in the country of origin, including the US, before the goods ship.
No. SONCAP covers regulated imports in general. NAFDAC governs food, drugs, cosmetics, and medical products, which is why SONCAP exempts those categories. For those products, check NAFDAC’s registration requirements instead.
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