On the 10th of September 2015, the Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON) implemented the full integration of the E-Certificates (e-SON Product and e-SONCAP Certificate) into the Nigeria Single Window Platform for its Standards Organization of Nigeria Conformity Assessment Programs (SONCAP).
This new online process is meant to curb the common use of forged and fake certificates for the purpose of importation. No e-Form M will be approved, nor a Pre-Arrival Assessment Report (PAAR) processed, until the certificate is found on this portal.
The online E-Certification process is a joined effort between the Nigeria Central Bank and the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS). With this new development, all certificates issued must be transmitted directly from the SON online portal onto the Nigeria Customs one. Any certificate not found on the NCS portal will not be authorized for an e-Form M approval and cargo clearance will not be approved.
This means importers and exporters must now apply online to receive the e-Form M and process their PAAR.
The benefits of the E-Certificate include:
- Ability to process documents from anywhere
- Helps validate authenticity of certificates issued
- Easy access to view certificates online
- Eliminate bulky paperwork
- Grant trade facilitation through transparency.
If you have any questions on these changes, please don’t hesitate to contact us.