Nigeria SONCAP Certification

Introduction to SONCAP Certification in Nigeria

The Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON) is the Nigerian government agency responsible for setting and enforcing quality standards for imported goods and locally manufactured products. In order to ensure that controlled products comply with approved national technical standards or other international standards and to protect Nigerian consumers from unsafe or non-conforming products, the Nigerian National Bureau of Standards has decided to implement a mandatory pre-shipment conformity assessment procedure (SONCAP) for controlled products exported to the country.

After many years of implementation, Nigeria's SONCAP will implement the new SONCAP policy on April 1, 2013, according to the latest notice. This is a significant change from the previous SONCAP. The exporter no longer applies for SONCAP for each shipment, but instead applies for COC. After getting the COC, the exporter provides it to the importer to apply for SC. The importer directly applies for SC at the local SONCAP agency. In addition, according to the risk category of products, on-site sampling testing, inspection and supervision of the product.

Nigeria SONCAP certification control scope

1. All electronics and electronic products are available for public use, whether at home or in residential, office, retail, leisure, etc. Examples include, but are not limited to, household appliances, IT products, communications products, lighting products, audiovisual products

2. Motor vehicle tires

3. Car glass

4. Car spare parts

5. Car batteries

6. Gas appliances

7. Toys

8. Some galvanized steel products

9. Food and food

10. Chemicals

Nigeria SONCAP certification process

There are three main steps in applying for Nigerian certification:

Step 1: Product testing;

Step 2: Apply for PCR/PCL product certificate;

Step 3: Apply for a SONCAP certificate.

Product testing and PC certificate application process

1. Send samples for testing;

2. Provide ISO17025 qualified institutions to issue test reports;

3. Submit PC application form;

4. Provide product name, customs code, product photos and packaging photos;

5. For PCL, it is also necessary to conduct system audit on the factory; Have ISO9001 certificate.

Apply for a SONCAP certificate

1. SONCAP application form;

2. PC certificate
3. Inspect goods and supervise loading and sealing, submit final invoice and packing list after qualified;

4. Submit documents FROM M; Commercial invoice and packing list; Photos of products and outer packaging;

5. If the PC registration certificate belongs to another company, the exporter also needs to provide the English authorization letter of the PC holding company.

Note: After the production of the goods, you should immediately apply to our company for SONCAP. We should inspect, supervise and seal the goods according to the requirements, and issue the SONCAP certificate after passing the requirements. Post-shipment applications are not accepted.

There are three forms of Nigerian COC certification

Route A, for occasional shipments a year
After the goods are produced by the exporter, inspectors will inspect the goods, and then take samples from the bulk goods for testing. After the test is qualified, PR report will be issued. Before shipment, the goods will be supervised and sealed.
The documents to be submitted are as follows:
1) CoC application form
2) Product name, product photo, customs code;
3) Packing list
4) Proforma invoice
5) FORMM number
Route B, for products shipped multiple times a year.
First, the exporter applies for PC. The application process is as follows:
1) PC application form;
2) Product name, product photo, customs code;
3) A qualified test report issued by a laboratory with ISO 17025 qualification;
4) Conduct system audit on the factory
The PC is valid for one year after getting it.
After the factory finishes the production of goods, the process of applying for CoC is as follows:
1) CoC application form;
2) Packing list;
3) Proforma invoice;
4) FORMM number
After complete information on the goods for a certain rate of inspection, sampling testing and supervision, the ratio is not less than 40%, qualified issued CoC certificate.
Route C, for a year of frequent shipments.
The factory shall first apply for the Licence, and the application conditions are as follows:
1) At least 4 or more successful applications based on RouteB;
2) The factory shall be audited twice and qualified.
3) A qualified test report issued by a laboratory with ISO 17025 qualification;
The License is valid for one year.
After the factory finishes the production of goods, the process of applying for CoC is as follows:
5) CoC application form;
6) Packing list;
7) Proforma invoice;
8) FORMM number
After complete information on the goods for a certain rate of inspection and supervision, not less than two times a year.

Notes for SONCAP certification in Nigeria

(1)SONCAP certification belongs to the CB certification system. It recognizes the CB report, the third party report of the IEC standard system and the third party IEC(CB) test report issued by the certification body under the CB system. So if there is a CB report or other third party test report approved by a certification body, the focus of SONCAP certification is documentation and provision.

(2) If a valid product test report can be provided and all required documents are complete and correct, GTS will normally issue a PC certificate within 5 working days. If product testing or factory audits are to be conducted, the certification cycle needs to be evaluated in conjunction with the testing and factory audits.

(3) Certification fees mainly include certificate and report fees. If the product needs to be tested, the testing fee will be paid separately. The cost of certificates and reports depends on the validity of certificates, the number of product models and the number of trademarks. In addition, different acceptance agencies, certification fees will be different.

(4) If the certificate expires and needs to be replaced, the latest safety test report (valid within 2 years) should be prepared. The standards in the report should be the latest IEC standards, and the name and model of the product in the certificate must be consistent with those in the report.

(5) When submitting the application for SONCAP certification, it is best to make a list of a series of product names and product models that need to be applied for, so that all products of the same type can be included in a PC certificate, which can save a lot of time and cost.

(6)SONCAP certification sometimes has inspection requirements, but the probability of inspection is not high. License-issuing organs will put forward inspection requirements only when they consider it necessary.

(7) Prepare ISO9001 certificate before certification, can be removed from the factory review, improve efficiency.