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
You can cook to order from home without registering each meal with NAFDAC, but once you package food or drinks for sale through shops or online, each product needs a NAFDAC registration number. Registration needs CAC documents, labels, samples, a fumigation certificate and staff health certificates, and food products typically take about 90 working days.
Cooking to order versus selling packaged products
Many food businesses start in a home kitchen: small chops for parties, soups by the litre, cakes, zobo, chin chin or spice blends. The line that matters is packaging. A pot of stew delivered to a customer who ordered it is a service. A labelled jar of pepper sauce sitting on a supermarket shelf is a packaged product, and NAFDAC expects it to be registered before it is sold.
Shoppers are told by NAFDAC to look for a registration number, a date marking, an ingredient list and nutrition information on packaged food. Supermarkets that care about their reputation check for the same things, so registration is also what gets you onto shelves.
What NAFDAC asks for
NAFDAC sorts food producers by scale. For a micro-scale producer, the base documents uploaded to the e-registration portal include:
- CAC registration certificate.
- Site use agreement, if you do not own the premises.
- Trademark approval for the brand name.
- A vetting sample of the product.
- Three product labels.
- A fumigation certificate.
- Proof of payment.
A small-scale producer adds written standard operating procedures for quality assurance, equipment cleaning and handling of packaging materials, certificates of analysis for raw materials and finished products, and health certificates for production staff. Those health checks cover sputum, stool, urine, Widal and Hepatitis B.
Fees and timelines
Fees are paid through Remita after a NAFDAC desk officer issues a payment advice. A schedule reported in 2024, based on the agency's 2019 tariff, listed the following ancillary fees. Confirm current amounts with NAFDAC before you pay.
| Item | Fee reported (2019 tariff) |
|---|---|
| Single product registration | ₦15,000 |
| Each variant (size, version or language) | ₦5,000 |
| 2 to 5 products | ₦29,700 |
| More than 5 products | ₦103,950 |
| Certified true copy of documents, per page | ₦5,000 |
The process for food usually takes about 90 working days: document checks, an inspection of your production site with sampling, laboratory analysis, final vetting and then the issue of your number. Build that time into your launch plan rather than printing thousands of labels first.
Making a home kitchen inspection-ready
- Set aside a production area that is not used for family cooking, with washable surfaces.
- Keep raw materials off the floor in sealed containers, labelled with the date received.
- Write down your recipe, batch sizes and cleaning routine; these become your standard operating procedures.
- Book fumigation and keep the certificate.
- Arrange staff medical tests before inspection.
A worked example of pricing a jar
Illustrative example: a 250ml jar of pepper sauce uses ₦900 of peppers, oil and seasoning, ₦350 for the jar and lid and ₦100 for the label: ₦1,350 per jar. If you sell to a shop at ₦2,000 and the shop sells at ₦2,600, your margin is ₦650 a jar. Selling 300 jars a month gives a gross profit of ₦195,000 before gas, transport and your own time, which tells you whether registration fees and the 90-day wait are worth it.
Selling online and to shops while you wait
The registration period does not have to be idle. Many home producers keep selling cooked-to-order food to direct customers, which builds demand and cash flow, while the packaged version works through NAFDAC. A few habits help both now and later:
- Take orders with a clear cut-off time so you can plan each day's cooking and shopping.
- Ask for payment before delivery, or a deposit for large party orders, and issue a receipt for every payment.
- Keep a list of your regular customers and what they buy; it becomes your first sales pitch to shops.
- Photograph the product and packaging consistently so customers recognise it.
- Record every batch with the date and quantity, which is the start of the traceability NAFDAC expects.
When you approach shops with a registered product, bring the NAFDAC number, a price list with your wholesale and suggested retail prices, and your delivery days. Shops often ask to pay after the goods sell, so decide in advance how much credit you can carry and send an invoice for each delivery so nothing is forgotten.
Registered or not, separate your food business money from household money. Our guide to getting paid in Nigeria covers transfers, checkout links and invoices.
Where Pryme fits
A Pryme Business Account gives a home food business a separate account, bank-transfer checkout for online orders and invoices for shops that buy from you on terms. When you grow into a shop or eatery, eateries and restaurants are a supported Spaces sector: a business with a Business Account can join Spaces and reach customers who hold Loans on Spaces, credit that can only be spent with Spaces merchants. If you also run a counter, see how to start a restaurant. For merchant terms, contact Pryme.
Questions people ask
Do I need NAFDAC to sell food from home?
Not for meals cooked to order and delivered. You need NAFDAC registration once you package food or drinks with a label for sale through shops or online.
How much is NAFDAC registration for a small food business?
A schedule based on NAFDAC's 2019 tariff listed ₦15,000 for a single product and ₦5,000 per variant. Ask a NAFDAC desk officer for a current payment advice before paying.
How long does NAFDAC registration take for food?
About 90 working days from document checks to the issue of the number, including inspection and laboratory analysis.
Can I register with NAFDAC without CAC?
No. CAC registration is one of the base documents NAFDAC asks for.
Sources
- Steps to follow in getting a NAFDAC registration for your business (Nairametrics, Oct 2024) · accessed Oct 2026
- NAFDAC lists key things to check before buying packaged foods (MSME Africa) · accessed Oct 2026
- How much does it cost to incorporate a company in Nigeria? (Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr) · 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.