NEPC Exporter Registration and the NXP Form in Nigeria (2026)

Before you can export food from Nigeria, you need to be registered. NEPC exporter registration in Nigeria is handled by the Nigerian Export Promotion Council, and a second document, the NXP form, tracks the value of each export sale through your bank. Many first-time exporters in Lagos, Kano and Port Harcourt confuse the two, or do not know that food also needs a separate NAFDAC export approval. This guide explains each piece using NEPC and NAFDAC's own pages, read in October 2026, so you know the order of steps before you pack your first carton.

Fees, forms and portals change. Use this as a checklist and confirm every item with NEPC, your bank and NAFDAC.

Who must register with NEPC

NEPC's page on registering as an exporter states that all businesses interested in exporting have to register as an exporter in Nigeria. Its export documents page adds that NEPC issues the exporter's certificate, which "licenses you as exporter and makes you eligible for NEPC-benefits". NEPC's FAQ says that registering your company with NEPC is one of the requirements for accessing export incentives. NEPC suggests newcomers can begin with its Export Readiness Checker, and it runs an Export Clinic for newly registered companies.

How NEPC exporter registration works

NEPC says registration can only be done on its e-registration platform. The steps on the e-registration page are:

Complete the registration on the platform.
Pay the applicable fee by card, internet banking or at a Nigerian bank.
Confirm payment on the platform, using the Order ID from the Transactions Log and the "Get Status" button.
Once payment is confirmed, NEPC says the certificate is issued within one working day. You then log in, open "Registration Details" and download and print it.

Documents NEPC asks for

The e-registration page lists documents by type of organisation. For a limited liability company, they are the CAC Certificate of Incorporation, the Memorandum and Articles of Association, CAC Form 1.1 Section C (particulars of directors) or a status report, and a board resolution to register with NEPC, sealed with the company seal. Cooperative societies and non-governmental organisations have their own lists. NEPC's guide to the e-registration platform (a PDF on its site) adds that export should be listed among the company's objects in the Memorandum, and that documents are scanned as PDFs of no more than 100KB each. If your Memorandum does not mention export, speak to a company secretary or lawyer about the right way to amend it before you apply.

NEPC exporter registration fees and validity

The same page describes the registration fees and the validity period of the certificate. The page does not show a date, so we have not repeated any amounts here. Ask NEPC for the current fee schedule at enquiry@nepc.gov.ng or info@nepc.gov.ng before you pay, and pay only through the platform's own payment route.

What the NXP form is

NEPC's export documents page describes the Nigeria Export Proceed form (NXP) as a form issued by a commercial bank that "captures the value of the export transaction for economic development purposes". It also calls it a key requirement for the Export Expansion Grant. So the NXP is not something NEPC gives you at registration. You work with the commercial bank handling your export proceeds, together with your commercial invoice, which NEPC says helps process the NXP. Ask your bank which documents it needs before you ship, not after.

The Export Expansion Grant is a post-shipment incentive. On an NEPC page last modified 30 August 2020, NEPC says eligible exporters receive 5% to 15% of annual export value as Export Credit Certificates. That page lists NXP forms certified by the processing bank, Nigeria Customs Service and the pre-shipment inspection agent among the application documents, and a minimum annual export turnover of N5 million. Because the page is dated 2020, ask NEPC whether the scheme and its conditions still apply. NEPC's FAQ also states plainly that NEPC does not provide direct funding for exports.

Food exporters also need NAFDAC export approval

NEPC registration alone does not clear food for export. NEPC's export documents page lists NAFDAC as the issuer of the health certificate for processed and semi-processed food items. NAFDAC's guideline on export e-licences (reference PID-GDL-011-00, effective 24 September 2022) says:

Products must be registered with NAFDAC, and NAFDAC will not issue an export e-licence for products that have already left Nigeria.
Supporting documents vary by product and can include NAFDAC product registration evidence, a certificate of analysis, NEPC registration, Form NXP, a proforma invoice, a packing list and, for plant-origin agro-products, a NAQS phytosanitary certificate.
A representative sample of the packed product must be couriered to NAFDAC's Export Division in Yaba, Lagos, and facility inspection and laboratory analysis may be required for processed and semi-processed products.
Export e-licences are one-off and valid for three months from the date of issue.
An export e-licence does not guarantee entry into the destination country.

NAFDAC also publishes a guideline for listing exporters of NAFDAC regulated products (reference PID-GDL-017-00, effective 9 May 2023), which asks for a warehouse that meets good hygiene, warehousing and manufacturing standards and says a listing certificate is valid for two years. Read both on NAFDAC's website and check which applies to your business. Our guides to NAFDAC registration for food products and phytosanitary certificates for African exporters cover the surrounding steps.

A sensible order of steps

Register your business with CAC and make sure export is in your Memorandum.
Register your product with NAFDAC.
Register as an exporter with NEPC.
Agree with a commercial bank how export proceeds and the NXP form will be handled.
Apply for the NAFDAC export e-licence for each shipment, and any certificates your product needs, such as a phytosanitary certificate for plant products.
Agree prices and shipping terms with your buyer. Our guides to what to quote buyers and getting paid safely help here.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to register with NEPC to export food? NEPC states that all businesses interested in exporting have to register as an exporter in Nigeria. Confirm with NEPC for your situation.

Is the NXP form the same as the NEPC certificate? No. The NEPC certificate is your exporter registration. The NXP is issued by a commercial bank and records the value of an export transaction.

How long does the NEPC certificate take? NEPC's page says the certificate is issued within one working day once payment is confirmed. Allow extra time to collect documents first.

Can an individual register? The e-registration page lists documents for companies, cooperative societies and organisations. Ask NEPC what applies to a sole trader.

Does Comilmart handle export paperwork or shipping? No. The seller arranges and pays for shipping and delivery, and Comilmart does not handle freight, customs clearance or duties.

Getting started

If you are preparing to export, register your supplier profile while your paperwork comes together. Apply at /apply-manufacturer with your company registration number, tax number, business licence and registration certificate uploads, at least two sample product images and your company profile, and choose the B2B category that fits your products. Applying is free, and review is stated on the form as taking about 24 to 48 hours. Buyers can send requests at /request-quotation, and approved suppliers can respond with a quotation. For the NEPC exporter registration itself, start on NEPC's export documents page.