Route A for SONCAP (Standards Organisation of Nigeria Conformity Assessment Programme) Certification is designed for unregistered or unlicensed products. This route is typically recommended for infrequent exporters.

The SONCAP (Standards Organisation of Nigeria Conformity Assessment Programme) is a pre-shipment verification process used to ensure that products imported into Nigeria comply with applicable standards and technical regulations. Here’s a step-by-step overview of Route A for SONCAP Certification:

1. Product Registration:
   • If your product is not registered with SON (Standards Organisation of Nigeria), you’ll start with an unregistered status.
   • Obtain a Product Certificate 1 (PC1), which is the initial stage for unregistered products or new products entering the Nigerian market for the first time.
2. Quality Verification:
   • Apply for a Certificate of Conformity (CoC) from ASC-Africa as an International Accreditation Firms (IAFs) authorized by SON.
   • The CoC confirms that your product meets specified standards (such as NIS, ISO, IEC, and approved standards of other nations).
   • ASC-Africa as an IAF conduct physical inspections, sampling, testing, and analysis in accredited laboratories.
3. Pre-Shipment Inspection:
   • Before shipment, your product undergoes physical inspection to verify conformity.
   • If your product complies, ASC-Africa issues a SONCAP Certificate (SC).
   • If there are non-conformities, a Non-Conformity Report (NCR) is issued.
4. Customs Clearance:
   • The SONCAP Certificate (SC) is mandatory for importation and Customs clearance in Nigeria.
   • Present the SC along with other required documents during the import process.

Remember that the SONCAP Certificate is essential for importing regulated goods into Nigeria.