Nigeria certification introduction
Apply COC certification if your PC applied in our office is in validity term. The application procedure is as follows.
Application form submitted by clients, receipt, packaging list, scanned FORMM, scanned PC-factory auditing will be arranged by us (once is enough), before-shipment inspection (random inspection), and products spot check (random inspection)-shipment can be arranged if all the inspection and tests are qualified. Storage inspection is needed when the products are FCL-COC issuing-clearance certificate should be acquired by importers in SON office.If clients do not have PC certification, then they should apply COC according to new application procedure. The application procedure is as follows.
出口有3种申请程序：
ROUTE A，
ROUTE A
1. Apply for PRODUCT REPORT. Products detection reports should be submitted to us for auditing. A PRODUCT REPORT will be provided if the auditing is qualified (this report is validity for six months and can only be used for shipment once)
2. Apply COC with PRODUCT REPORT, before-shipment inspection and sampling test (every time) will be arranged by us. COC will be issued if all the inspection and tests are passed. Storage inspection is needed when the products are FCL-SONCAP certificate should be acquired by importers in SON office.
ROUTE B
1. Apply for PRODUCT REPORT (REGISTRATION). Products detection reports should be submitted to us for auditing. A factory auditing will be arranged if the auditing is qualified. And if the auditing has passed, Product Certificate (REGISTRATION) will be presented (the validity term is 1 year and can be used for shipment several times).
2. Apply COC with REGISTRATION, before-shipment inspection and sampling test (random inspection) will be arranged. COC will be presented if all the inspection and tests are passed. Storage inspection is needed when the products are FCL-SONCAP certificate should be acquired by importers in SON office.
ROUTE C
1. Clients apply for Product Certificate (LICENSE) should be qualified with the following conditions,
is a manufacturer, has applied for PRODUCT REPORT(REGISTRATION）in the past and among that, should have at least 4 times’ export conformity records and 2 times’ factory auditing records.
Manufactures qualified with the above conditions provide valid detection reports for us to audit and PRODUCT REPORT (LICENSE) will be presented if the auditing is qualified.
We will conduct factory auditing twice annually when apply for LICENSE.
2. Apply COC with LICENSE, before-shipment inspection (random inspection) will be arranged. COC will be presented if the inspection is passed. Storage inspection is needed when the products are FCL-SONCAP certificate should be acquired by importers in SON office.
Following is from the official website of Nigeria Standard Bureau:
SONCAP stands for the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) Conformity Assessment Programme. In line with the statutory function of the SON as entrenched in the Act No 56 of 1971 and subsequent amendments, the SONCAP programme was introduced in 2005 by the Federal Government of Nigeria to address the challenges of the incessant influx of substandard and unsafe products into the country.
Three Programme Management Companies (PMC); Swede Control Intertek Limited, SGS Societe Generale de Surveillance and TUV Rheinland Group were appointed to administer SONCAP globally on behalf of SON.
Routes for determining conformity of product(s)
Each shipment of good(s) or product(s) subject to SONCAP arriving any Nigerian Port must be accompanied by a SONCAP Certificate (SC). The methods employed for achieving these requirements vary according to the nature of product, the risk profile of the manufacturer and the level of conformity met by existing certifications.
The SON has defined three routes that maybe applied as appropriate conformity assessment procedures for product(s) subject to SONCAP, according to type, risk and effect on the health and safety, and environmental protection. The routes are:
• Route A: For unregistered/Unlicensed products (Conformity Verification)
Each shipment to be imported requires inspection, consignment testing to applicable standards, witnessing of stuffing of Full Container Load (FCL) and affixing of seals to FCL upon the conformity to the requirements, the product is issued with a SC, which is valid only for that particular consignment. The steps shall be as follows:-
Step 1: Product Report Product Report (PR), valid for six months to be issued by IAF upon satisfactory completion of:- - Inspection - Product Sampling: Samples submitted for testing shall be (i) drawn by the IAF, or (ii) drawn under IAF supervision at the manufacturer’s premises.
Step 2: Test Report Test Report to be issued by: - Approved ISO 17025 laboratories - Manufacturer for testing witnessed by IAF
Step 3: Certificate of Conformity (CoC) Certificate of Conformity to be issued by IAF upon:- - Receipt of satisfactory Test Report as per step 2 - Satisfactory goods verification, witnessing of stuffing of Full Container Loads (FCL) and affixing of seals to FCL based on a risk assessment. - Receipt of satisfactory final documents
In the event of non-compliance with the testing and/or inspection requirements, the IAF shall issue a Non Conformity Report.
• Route B: For Registered Products (Registration and Conformity Inspection)
Registration of products is done following type testing and assessment of the manufacturer’s quality system in place in order to determine that the product(s) under consideration is in conformity with the applicable standards and that the manufacturer has the necessary systems in place to produce consistently over a time the same quality product. The steps shall be as follows:-
Step 1: Product Certificate (Registered Status)
Product Certificate (PC), valid for one year, to be issued by IAF upon satisfactory completion of audit of manufacturer’s factory. Manufacturer/Exporter under route A could be elevated to Route B based on good compliance history (minimum of four fully compliant transactions)
Step 2: Test Report
Test Report, issued by approved laboratory or manufacturer, to be received by IAF for every shipment but in at least 40% of shipments per quarter the IAF to have either taken the sample for submission to the approved laboratory or to have witnessed the sampling and testing at the manufacturer’s premises
Step 3: Certificate of Conformity (CoC) Certificate of Conformity to be issued by IAF upon:- - Receipt of satisfactory Test Report as per step 2 - Satisfactory goods verification, witnessing of stuffing of Full Container Loads (FCL) and affixing of seals to FCL (where feasible at least 40% of shipments per quarter) - Receipt of satisfactory final documents
In the event of non-compliance with the testing and/or inspection requirements, the IAF shall issue a Non Conformity Report.
• Route C: For Licensed products (Product Certification Systems) Licensing of products is based on detailed evaluation of the product, including testing and factory audit and regular surveillances. If in conformity with the relevant NIS or approved equivalents, the product will be granted license. However, at least twice a year pre-shipment verification ie documentary review, process evaluation, inspection of facility, inspection of consignment to be shipped, verification of testing, witnessing of FCL stuffing and sealing of shipments will be conducted to ensure that conformity is maintained. Licensing is only granted to the manufacturer of a product and the process is not available for exporter and/or supplier. The steps shall be as follows:-
Step 1: Product Certificate (Licensed Status) Product Certificate (PC), valid for one year, to be issued by IAF upon satisfactory completion of audit of manufacturer’s factory. Manufacturer under route B could be elevated to Route C based on good compliance history (minimum of four fully compliant transactions and two factory verifications) Step 2: Test Report Type Test Report, issued by the manufacturer or approved laboratory, to be received by IAF for every product within the scope of the licensed product certificate.
Step 3: Certificate of Conformity (CoC) Certificate of Conformity to be issued by IAF upon:- - Receipt of satisfactory Test Report as per step 2 - Satisfactory goods verification, witnessing of stuffing of Full Container Loads (FCL) and affixing of seals to FCL (where feasible at least one shipment every six months). - Receipt of satisfactory final documents
In the event of non-compliance with the testing and/or inspection requirements, the IAF shall issue a Non Conformity Report.