AI agents for business finance: what they can and can't do
What AI agents can do in bookkeeping, close, collections and compliance today, where a person must stay in charge, and how to judge a product.
The short answer
Plants and plant products that GB classes as high risk, medium risk A or medium risk B need a phytosanitary certificate issued in Nigeria by the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS) for each consignment, dated no more than 13 days before or after the goods leave. Low risk products are exempt. The UK importer uploads a scan to IPAFFS, notifies at least 4 working hours before an air arrival or 1 working day for sea freight, and pays a £5.25 documentary check fee per certificate in England and Wales.
Peppers, yams, leaves, seeds, cut flowers, live plants and some dried produce can carry pests that UK plant health rules are designed to keep out. If you import these from Nigeria for sale, the phytosanitary certificate is the document that lets them in. Getting the date or the category wrong is a common reason consignments are held.
Which products need a certificate
GOV.UK guidance on importing plants and plant products from non-EU countries into Great Britain (updated 27 August 2026) uses four risk categories:
| Category | Phytosanitary certificate | Entry and checks |
|---|---|---|
| High risk | Required | Through a border control post that handles plants; scan on IPAFFS; importer registered on IPAFFS |
| Medium risk A | Required | Same as high risk |
| Medium risk B | Required | Under plant health controls; original certificate posted to APHA or SASA |
| Low risk | Not required | Exempt from plant health controls |
GOV.UK does not print a product list on that page. It sends you to the Defra plant health portal to look up your commodity, and warns that categories can change. Check each product, and check again before each season. Some goods are prohibited unless they can meet scientifically justified requirements.
Who issues it in Nigeria
The certificate comes from the plant health authority of the exporting country, which in Nigeria is NAQS, an agency under the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security. Its website lists phytosanitary certificate applications, fast-track commodity examination and seaport inspection and certification among its services. Fees are paid through Remita, with amounts on its user fees page.
Two NAQS tools help you as a buyer:
- Certificate verification. NAQS links a verification service at verifyphyto.naqsportal.net. Use it to check a certificate number before goods are loaded.
- ePhyto. NAQS links an ePhyto application. Ask your supplier whether your certificate will be issued electronically or on paper.
The rules that catch people out
- The 13-day window. GOV.UK says the certificate must be issued no more than 13 days before or after the consignment leaves the exporting country. A certificate issued for an earlier shipment cannot be reused.
- One certificate per consignment. Splitting a load across two flights usually means two certificates.
- IPAFFS timing. Notify at least 4 working hours before landing for air and roll-on roll-off freight, and at least 1 working day before arrival for other freight.
- Paper originals. For high risk and medium risk goods the original paper certificate goes to APHA (or SASA in Scotland) within 3 days.
- Wood packaging. Pallets and crates must meet the ISPM 15 standard.
Fees and checks at the border
In England and Wales the documentary check costs £5.25 per phytosanitary certificate (GOV.UK, August 2026). Identity and physical check fees depend on the type of material and are set out in a separate fee schedule. Port health charges and, at Dover or Eurotunnel, a common user charge may also apply. Checks are carried out by APHA in England and Wales and SASA in Scotland.
Worked example
Example only: an importer brings in four air shipments of fresh peppers in a quarter, each with one certificate. Documentary checks cost 4 × £5.25 = £21.00, before identity and physical check fees, which vary by commodity and must be taken from the fee schedule.
Steps for a first shipment
- Look up each product's risk category on the Defra plant health portal.
- If high risk or medium risk A, register on IPAFFS so you become a registered professional operator.
- Choose a port or airport with a border control post that handles plants.
- Ask the supplier to book NAQS inspection so the certificate falls inside the 13-day window, and to send a scan as soon as it is issued.
- Verify the certificate number on the NAQS verification service.
- Submit the IPAFFS notification in time for the transport mode, and arrange for the original to reach APHA or SASA within 3 days.
- Keep copies of everything with the invoice and the airway bill or bill of lading.
Processed foods and other permits
Processed and packaged foods may fall outside plant health controls but inside food rules. NAFDAC's export guideline asks for a NAQS phytosanitary certificate copy when issuing a health certificate for processed and semi-processed food, so your supplier may need one even where the UK does not; see NAFDAC export certification. Peppers and yams have their own guides: Nigerian peppers and yam tubers.
Where Pryme fits
Perishable shipments leave little time between invoice and departure. Paying from a Pryme Business Account in the currency your supplier invoices in avoids a last-minute conversion, and Swap shows the rate and the fee before you approve. Outside Nigeria, Pryme's activities are carried out through regulated partners.
Questions people ask
Who issues a phytosanitary certificate in Nigeria?
The Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS), the country's plant health authority, issues it for each consignment.
How old can a phytosanitary certificate be for the UK?
GOV.UK says it must be issued no more than 13 days before or after the consignment leaves the exporting country.
Do all plant products from Nigeria need a certificate?
No. Low risk plant products are exempt. High risk, medium risk A and medium risk B goods need one; check your product on the Defra plant health portal.
How do I check a NAQS certificate is real?
NAQS links a verification service at verifyphyto.naqsportal.net. Check the number before the goods are loaded.
Sources
- GOV.UK: Import plants and plant products from non-EU countries to Great Britain (updated 27 Aug 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
- Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS): home page and e-services · accessed Oct 2026
- NAFDAC: Guidelines for export, NAFDAC/PID/EXP/FCMD/2018/00 (PDF) · 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.