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The short answer
Cosmetics cannot be imported or sold in Nigeria unless registered with NAFDAC, and the application is filed on NAFDAC's NAPAMS portal by a company incorporated with the Corporate Affairs Commission, acting under a power of attorney from the UK manufacturer. NAFDAC's guidelines require a Certificate of Manufacture and Free Sale authenticated by the Nigerian High Commission, a registered trademark, a certificate of analysis, a factory inspection and lab tests; registration lasts five years and NAFDAC targets 120 working days.
A UK skincare or haircare brand with Nigerian customers usually starts by sending stock in suitcases or small cargo. That works until a retailer or distributor wants to stock the line. From that point the product needs a NAFDAC number, and the process sits with a Nigerian partner, not with you.
Who applies
NAFDAC's Guidelines for Registration of Imported Cosmetics (DR&R-GDL-004-01, effective 13 December 2021) require evidence of business incorporation with the Corporate Affairs Commission. In practice the applicant is a Nigerian company: your distributor, a regulatory agent, or your own Nigerian subsidiary. It files one application per product on NAPAMS. The factory inspection letter must name the Nigerian local agent.
If your plan is to set up your own Nigerian company, the Nigeria library explains business name versus limited company.
What the UK side must supply
| Document | NAFDAC requirement |
|---|---|
| Power of attorney | From the manufacturer, signed by the MD, GM, chairman or president; names the products; authorises registration with NAFDAC; states brand ownership; notarised in the country of manufacture; valid at least five years |
| Contract manufacturing agreement | Instead of the POA where the applicant owns the brand; signed by both parties and notarised |
| Certificate of Manufacture and Free Sale | From a relevant health or regulatory body in the UK; authenticated by the Nigerian High Commission |
| Trademark | Brand registered with Nigeria's Trademark Registry in the owner's name |
| Certificate of analysis | On the testing lab's letterhead with brand, batch, manufacture and expiry dates, analyst's name and signature |
| Inspection invitation | Letter from the manufacturer inviting NAFDAC to inspect the factory, with its real site address, contacts and product list |
| Labels and artwork | Must conform to NAFDAC's Cosmetic Products Labelling Regulations 2021 |
If you use a contract manufacturer in the UK, the factory that must be inspected is theirs, so agree access in your contract early. For trademarks, see registering a Nigerian trademark from the UK.
The five stages
- Documents uploaded on NAPAMS.
- Electronic import permit issued after screening, so samples can enter Nigeria.
- Samples and laboratory analysis, submitted after product vetting with the payment receipt and certificate of analysis.
- Product Approval Meeting of NAFDAC's registration committee, after documents, GMP inspection and lab results are satisfactory.
- Electronic Certificate of Product Registration, valid five years.
The guideline sets 120 working days from acceptance to registration number, with the clock stopping while queries are open. A query left unanswered for 90 working days closes the application. Paying the fee does not mean the product is registered, and registration does not include advertising approval, which is a separate application. NAFDAC publishes its fees on its tariff page; we did not find a figure we could confirm, so ask your agent for the current demand.
Products NAFDAC will not register
NAFDAC says it will not accept new applications for imported products on the Federal Government Import Prohibition List or the NAFDAC ceiling list. The ITA's Nigeria guide lists soaps and detergents in retail packs among restricted imports, so a UK soap brand should check its position before spending on the dossier. If an ingredient is prohibited in UK cosmetics, as the UK product safety regulator has said of hydroquinone, do not assume Nigeria is different; ask the agent to check NAFDAC's current position.
What to check first
- Is the product a cosmetic, or could NAFDAC classify it as a drug (medicated creams, strong active ingredients)?
- Is any line on the prohibition or restriction list?
- Who will hold the registration, and what happens to it if you change distributor?
- Can your factory host an inspection, and who pays for it?
Planning the timeline
Work back from the date you want stock on Nigerian shelves. The UK documents come first and take longer than most brands expect: the power of attorney must be signed by a senior officer and notarised, and the Certificate of Manufacture and Free Sale must then be authenticated by the Nigerian High Commission before it is any use to NAFDAC. Only after document screening does NAFDAC issue the import permit that lets samples into Nigeria. Add the inspection visit, the lab work and the approval meeting, and the 120-working-day target can stretch if a query sits unanswered. Brands that register a whole range at once file one application per product, so a ten-product range is ten files with ten sets of samples. Many start with their two or three best sellers and add lines once the first registrations are through.
The holder of the registration controls the product's access to the Nigerian market, so write into the distribution agreement that the registration transfers or is withdrawn if the relationship ends (appointing a Nigerian distributor).
Where Pryme fits
Registration and import permits are paid in Nigeria in naira, while your sales come back in pounds or dollars. A Pryme Business Account holds NGN, GBP, USD and EUR, so a UK brand can fund Nigerian costs in naira and receive distributor payments in its own currency, converting with Swap only when it chooses.
Questions people ask
Can a UK company register cosmetics with NAFDAC directly?
The guideline asks for evidence of incorporation with Nigeria's Corporate Affairs Commission, so a Nigerian company files, acting under the UK manufacturer's power of attorney.
How long does NAFDAC cosmetics registration take?
NAFDAC's guideline targets 120 working days from acceptance, with the clock stopped while queries are open.
How long is a NAFDAC registration valid?
Five years under the guideline, though NAFDAC may suspend or revoke it.
Does the Certificate of Free Sale need legalising?
Yes. NAFDAC requires it to be authenticated by the Nigerian Embassy or High Commission in the country of manufacture.
Sources
- NAFDAC: Guidelines for Registration of Imported Cosmetics in Nigeria, DR&R-GDL-004-01 (effective 13 Dec 2021) · accessed Oct 2026
- NAFDAC: Guidelines on cosmetics and other related products (content current 11 Mar 2024) · accessed Oct 2026
- US International Trade Administration: Nigeria Country Commercial Guide, Prohibited and Restricted Imports (6 Jun 2023) · accessed Oct 2026
- GOV.UK (OPSS): Product safety report, skin lightening lotion containing hydroquinone, 2406-0049c (19 Jun 2024) · accessed Oct 2026
This article is general information, not financial, legal or tax advice. Products described are provided under the terms on this site and are subject to regulation and eligibility.