Before you can legally ship a single container out of Nigeria, two registrations have to be in place: your company registration with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), and your exporter registration with the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC). Skip either one, and you won’t get past the documentation stage — no bank will process your Form NXP, and no port authority will clear your goods. Here’s how each one actually works.
Step 1: Register your company with CAC
Most first-time exporters register as a Limited Liability Company (Ltd) rather than a business name, because most export documentation — including your NEPC certificate and Form NXP — requires a registered company, not just a registered business name.
What you’ll need:
- A proposed company name (with 1-2 alternatives, in case your first choice is taken)
- Details of directors and shareholders, including valid ID
- A registered office address
- Memorandum and Articles of Association (CAC now uses a standard template for most company types)
Once approved, you’ll receive your Certificate of Incorporation, CAC status report, and your company’s TIN (Tax Identification Number) — the TIN is issued jointly with FIRS as part of the CAC process. Keep all of these; you’ll need them repeatedly through the export process.
Step 2: Register with NEPC to get your Exporter’s Certificate
With your CAC documents in hand, the next stop is NEPC. This registration is what officially designates your company as an exporter and is a prerequisite for opening a Form NXP later on.
Documents typically required:
- CAC Certificate of Incorporation
- Memorandum and Articles of Association
- Company’s TIN
- Valid means of identification for the company’s directors
- Passport photographs
- Completed NEPC registration form and payment of the registration fee
NEPC registration is renewable annually, so build that into your compliance calendar — a lapsed certificate can hold up a shipment at the worst possible time.
A few things first-timers get wrong
Registering the wrong company structure. Some new exporters register a business name to save money upfront, then discover months later they need to re-register as a limited company anyway. Decide your structure with export documentation requirements in mind from day one.
Treating NEPC registration as a formality. It’s not just a certificate to file away — your NEPC registration details need to match your CAC documents and bank records exactly. Mismatches (a slightly different company name, an outdated address) cause delays when you get to the NXP and pre-shipment inspection stages.
Registering late. Some exporters wait until they have a confirmed buyer before starting registration — and then lose weeks of time they didn’t budget for. CAC and NEPC registration can and should happen in parallel with your buyer search and product sourcing, not after.
Letting the certificate lapse. Because NEPC registration renews annually, exporters who go quiet for a season sometimes discover their certificate expired right when a new order comes in. A quick annual reminder saves this headache entirely.
How long does it take?
CAC registration is typically the faster of the two, often completed within days when documentation is in order. NEPC registration timelines vary depending on completeness of your submission and current processing volumes — incomplete applications are the most common cause of delay, so having every document correct and consistent the first time matters more than speed of submission.
Where this fits in your export journey
With CAC and NEPC registration complete, you’re now legally recognized as an exporter — but this is still early groundwork. You’ll still need product-specific certifications (NAFDAC, SON, or mineral permits depending on what you’re exporting), a confirmed buyer, and your Form NXP before you can ship. We’ll cover each of those next.
Need help navigating this process?
Refod Global Limited helps first-time exporters get CAC and NEPC registration right the first time — avoiding the mismatches and delays that hold up new export businesses before they even ship. Get in touch to get your registration sorted properly.
