Nigeria’s non-oil export sector generated $3.25 billion in the first half of 2025, with agricultural products representing the fastest-growing category. Yet most aspiring food exporters fail, not from lack of demand or poor product quality, but from regulatory non-compliance that gets shipments rejected at foreign ports.
The path from Nigerian farm to UK or US shelves requires navigating two parallel systems: Nigerian exit requirements before goods leave the country, and destination entry requirements meeting foreign food safety standards. Miss either checkpoint and your shipment gets rejected, your investment evaporates, and your reputation suffers.
This article covers the mandatory compliance steps for transforming agricultural products into foreign currency-earning exports.
Step 1: Business Registration
Your export business must operate as a registered legal entity to successfully export your products abroad. To do this, you’d need to register your company with the Corporate Affairs Commission as a Limited Liability Company, to obtain your Certificate of Incorporation and Tax Identification Number. Without doing this, you cannot proceed to subsequent export licensing steps.
Step 2: NEPC Registration
Registering with the Nigerian Export Promotion Council is another critical step you need to take. They issue your Exporter’s Certificate, your mandatory license to operate as a commercial exporter.
You can register through nepc.gov.ng, providing your Certificate of Incorporation and Board Resolution. This certificate also qualifies you for government export incentives, including the Export Expansion Grant, providing 10-30% rebates on qualifying exports.
Step 3: e-NXP Form
The Nigeria Export Proceed Form (e-NXP) is the definitive document for exporting products from Nigeria. Without an approved e-NXP, Nigeria Customs will not release your cargo. The e-NXP captures your export transaction value and ensures foreign currency proceeds return to Nigeria within 90-180 days.
Initiate the process through your bank’s trade services department immediately upon confirming export orders, not when goods are ready to ship.
Step 4: Quality Certification
Your product category determines which certificate you need:
- NAFDAC Health Certificate (for processed foods like packaged spices, ground melon, bottled palm oil, cassava flour): Requires facility inspection for Good Manufacturing Practice compliance, plus per-shipment testing and certificates
- Phytosanitary Certificate (for raw products like yams, dried beans, ginger, sesame seeds): Issued by the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS) certifying that the produce is pest-free. Inspection occurs at the export preparation point.
Note: Some semi-processed agricultural goods may require clearance from both agencies.
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Step 5: Exporting To The United States
The US Food and Drug Administration operates the world’s strictest food import regime, and compliance begins with facility registration.
- Your Nigerian facility manufacturing, processing, packing, or storing food for US consumption must register at access.fda.gov before your first shipment. This registration carries no fee but requires annual renewal – letting it expire causes automatic cargo detention when your products arrive at US ports.
- Registration alone isn’t sufficient. You must appoint a US-based individual or company serving as your communication link with the FDA. This US agent responds to FDA inquiries during their operating hours and handles emergency communications about your shipments. Many Nigerian exporters use their freight forwarders or specialised compliance consultants as agents. Choose carefully because without a valid US agent appointment, the FDA rejects your entire facility registration, blocking all exports.
- Your shipments also require Prior Notice submitted to the FDA before arrival: 8 hours for ocean freight and 4 hours for air cargo. This notification identifies what’s arriving, when, where, and from whom. Your US importer typically handles Prior Notice submission, but never assume. Explicitly assign this responsibility in your sales contracts, as missing Prior Notice causes port detention until properly submitted.
- Finally, your product labels must meet strict FDA regulations covering nutrition facts panel format, allergen warnings, serving sizes, and country of origin declarations. Generic labels designed for Nigerian markets rarely comply without modification.
Step 6: Exporting To The United Kingdom
UK import requirements maintain high food safety standards while increasing scrutiny on non-EU products.
- Most raw Nigerian agricultural products require phytosanitary certification from NAQS confirming your produce is pest-free. But certification alone doesn’t suffice – your UK importer must submit pre-notification through the UK Import of Products, Animals, Food and Feed System at least one working day before your consignment arrives. This IPAFFS notification links to your phytosanitary certificate, creating the documentation package that UK border inspectors verify. Coordinate closely with your buyer to ensure that they understand and fulfil this mandatory requirement, as many UK rejections stem from missing or improper IPAFFS notifications rather than product defects.
- All products must meet UK Food Standards Agency regulations covering safety, quality, and labelling standards. Products containing animal-origin ingredients like dried fish, crayfish, and smoked meat face additional scrutiny requiring veterinary health certificates from Nigerian authorities. These products trigger particularly strict inspections due to disease transmission concerns.
- Your packaging materials matter as much as your products. Wooden pallets or crates must meet ISPM 15 international standards requiring heat-treatment or fumigation, eliminating wood-boring pests. Compliant packaging displays specific stamps showing treatment method, date, and certifying organisation. Non-compliant wood causes immediate shipment rejection or expensive destination-port fumigation.
Understand that UK border authorities specifically target certain Nigerian products for enhanced inspection based on historical compliance issues. Dried beans face persistent export bans and intense scrutiny due to pesticide residue issues. Smoked fish products are examined for illegal preservatives. Palm oil shipments undergo quality parameter testing.
These aren’t arbitrary inspections – they’re risk-based responses to previous violations. Ensure your NAFDAC and NAQS certifications are unimpeachable, with laboratory results confirming compliance with UK maximum residue limits.
Step 7: Logistics And Customs Clearance
Your freight method fundamentally affects costs, timelines, and product viability. Air freight reaches UK or US destinations in 3-5 days but costs significantly more per kilogram than ocean shipping. Use air freight strategically for highly perishable products like fresh vegetables or fresh fruits, where rapid delivery justifies premium costs.
Sea freight takes 4-6 weeks but costs 60-80% less than air freight for equivalent weight. Dried products, flours, canned goods, bottled oils, and shelf-stable processed foods ship economically via ocean freight.
One thing you must never do is attempt export logistics yourself. The complexity of customs procedures, documentation requirements, port operations, and international shipping regulations demands professional freight forwarding services. They prevent costly port delays and demurrage fees that can quickly exceed your shipment’s entire value. Choose forwarders with specific experience in food exports to your destination country. Their regulatory knowledge and established relationships would prove invaluable.
Action Steps
Regulatory complexity creates barriers. But those barriers create opportunity for compliant exporters who navigate them properly. Start small with 1-2 tons of a single product to a specific destination. This lets you learn compliance procedures and refine processes without risking excessive capital.
Your methodical compliance with Nigerian exit requirements, destination entry standards, and professional logistics transforms agricultural products into reliable foreign currency revenues independent of naira volatility.
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