Product Standards and Certification for Selling in Nigeria, Kenya and Ghana: A Seller's Checklist (2026)

Selling into Nigeria, Kenya or Ghana usually means getting a pre-shipment conformity certificate before the goods sail. The SONCAP KEBS GSA certification systems all work on the same idea, which is that the goods are checked in the exporting country and a certificate travels with the shipment, but each country has its own agency, its own route names and its own paperwork. This checklist compares the three side by side so you can plan before you manufacture. For country-specific selling advice, read our posts on Nigeria, Kenya and Ghana; this guide is about the standards layer only.

SONCAP in Nigeria: what the Standards Organisation of Nigeria requires

SON describes SONCAP as a pre-shipment verification of conformity to standards for products imported into Nigeria. Assessment can include physical inspection, sampling, lab testing, an audit of the manufacturing process and a documents check. The SON page names two mandatory steps: a Product Certificate (PC), and a Certificate of Conformity leading to the SONCAP Certificate (SC), which it calls mandatory for importation and customs clearance (SON SONCAP service page).

SON's FAQ adds detail: the PC comes in three statuses (PC1 unregistered, PC2 registered, PC3 licensed) and is issued to the exporter, who uses it for the importer's CBN Form M. The SC is issued to the importer for a single consignment. PC1 is valid for six months and a single use; PC2 and PC3 for 12 months. Both PC and SC are processed through one of the Independent Accredited Firms, with a standard turnaround of 96 hours. Regulated goods that arrive without the process can be detained, tested and possibly destroyed at the importer's expense, and the FAQ states a SONCAP default charge of 20% of CIF value or ₦2 million, whichever is higher, where the process was not completed before shipment (SON SONCAP FAQ).

Exemptions listed by SON include food, medicines, medical products other than equipment, and used goods other than automobiles. Exempt products may still be regulated by other bodies, so check which agency covers your product. SON may also change the regulated list, so confirm current requirements with SON or the importer's licensed agent.

KEBS PVoC in Kenya: routes A, B and C

Kenya's Pre-Export Verification of Conformity (PVoC) programme requires covered goods to be certified in the country of origin before shipment. Version 15 of the KEBS PVoC manual, dated 19 February 2026, describes three routes for general goods: Route A, inspection and testing of each consignment; Route B, product registration for low-risk goods of consistent quality, valid one year with at least two surveillance inspections; and Route C, licensing for manufacturers with a quality management system, valid three years or the contract period. Compliant consignments get a Certificate of Conformity (CoC); non-compliant ones get a Nonconformity Report, and consignments with such a report are not allowed entry into Kenya (KEBS PVoC Manual, Version 15).

The manual says importers submit a Request for Certification to the appointed contractors, while exporters must make sure the goods meet the requirements and supply a Free Sale Certificate before issue. For 2026 to 2029 the listed general-goods contractors are ASTC, Bureau Veritas, CCIC, CHIC, Cotecna, Intertek, QISJ, SGS and TUV Rheinland. Several categories, including edible cooking oils, sugar and used goods, must use Route A, and the manual lists exemptions in its annexes, so check whether your product or importer category is exempt.

Ghana Standards Authority and the EASYPASS question

Ghana is where the official record is least consistent, so read this section carefully. The Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) is the national authority, and its import inspection page says importers of high-risk goods must register with GSA and that goods should arrive with a Certificate of Analysis or Certificate of Conformance, otherwise they cannot be cleared until samples are tested. That page was published in 2018 and does not mention EASYPASS (GSA import inspection).

The EASYPASS material says different things at different dates. A GSA-hosted flyer describes a programme run by Bureau Veritas, mandatory from 1 January 2019 (GSA EASYPASS flyer). A 2026 GSA document says the programme is mandatory for applicable imports into Ghana from 1 July 2026, is managed by GSA and is applied for through a GSA EASYPASS portal (GSA verification of conformity notice). A GSA data sheet from the same period says the mandatory date is keyed to the date of shipment, covers goods by HS code in chapters 25 to 96, excludes second-hand goods and exempts Ghana FDA-regulated products. Because these sources do not match, do not assume which applies to your goods: ask the Ghanaian importer to confirm in writing, from GSA, whether your product needs an EASYPASS certificate and which route applies before you ship.

SONCAP vs KEBS PVoC vs GSA: how do they compare?

Who applies: in Nigeria the exporter obtains the PC and the importer obtains the SC; in Kenya the importer files the Request for Certification while the exporter supports it; in Ghana the 2026 notice says importer or exporter may apply.
Route system: all three use A, B and C style routes, from consignment-by-consignment checks to registration or licensing for repeat shippers.
Repeat shippers: registered or licensed routes save time on later shipments. Compare the validity periods above.
Documents that gate clearance: Nigeria's SC feeds the customs clearance process, in Kenya a consignment with a Nonconformity Report is not allowed entry, and Ghana's certificate needs confirmation as above.

Seller's pre-shipment checklist

Get the HS code for your product from your importer and confirm whether it is regulated in the destination country.
Ask which agency and which route apply, and get that answer in writing.
Check test reports and factory quality records are current and match the exact model shipped.
Check whether another agency covers your product (for example food and drugs, which the SON FAQ lists as exempt from SONCAP).
Confirm labelling and markings; see our guide to reading product certifications.
Do not ship before the certificate is issued.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need SONCAP to sell in Nigeria? For SON-regulated products imported into Nigeria, SON says SONCAP is mandatory for importation and customs clearance. Food and medicines are among the categories it lists as exempt, but they have other regulators.

What is PVoC in Kenya? It is Kenya's pre-export verification of conformity programme, run through appointed inspection companies, which issues a Certificate of Conformity for compliant consignments.

Is Ghana EASYPASS mandatory? Official GSA documents give different dates and operators, so confirm in writing with GSA or the importer before shipping.

How long does certification take? SON gives a standard 96-hour turnaround for PC and SC when documents are in order. Other schemes do not publish one in the sources we read, so ask the inspection company. Rules change, so confirm with SON, KEBS and GSA before shipping.

Getting started

Foreign sellers can create a free Comilmart account, list products and discuss certification with buyers through live chat; you arrange your own shipping and paperwork. Buyers in Nigeria, Kenya and Ghana can browse the B2B wholesale catalog to see what is available.