The National Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) regulates and controls the safe production of pesticides made in or imported into Nigeria. Pesticides includes herbicides, insecticides, rodenticides, fungicides, molluscides nematicides, repellents, attractants, insect growths regulators, fumigants and plant growth regulators.

Registration of pesticides with NAFDAC ensures that only effective and high-quality pesticides are made available in the Nigerian market. This article outlines the steps to take to register imported pesticides and locally manufactured pesticides with NAFDAC in Nigeria.

Step by Step Procedure for Registration of Pesticides with NAFDAC

Step 1: Ensure that the pesticide product does not fall under the category of the Federal Government Import Prohibition List and NAFDAC Banned List.

Step 2: Visit the NAFDAC Automated Product Administration and Monitoring System (NAPAMS) portal to purchase, download and complete the application form.

Note that a separate application form should be submitted for different products. Some of the details required to complete the form include:

• Manufacturer Information such as Name of the Company, full location address of the factory, email address, and current phone no. For imported pesticides, include the name of contact person overseas, telephone no, email address, name of airport closest to the location and guide map illustrating the shortest land/air route to the factory overseas (where applicable), etc.
• Company’s Tax Identification Number, where applicable
• Details of Applicant, such as name, contact, address, qualification, job title, warehouse address, etc.
• Number of products
• Details of the products
• Names of four 4 staffs including production manager, production staff, quality control and marketing director, where applicable.

Step 3: Upload the application documents on the NAPAMS Portal:

1. Evidence of the Applicant’s business registration
2. Evidence of payment to the Agency.
3. Contract Manufacturing Agreement (where applicable).
4. Evidence of Registration of Brand Name with Trademark Registry in the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment. This should be done in the name of the owner of the Trademark/Brand name as the case may be (where applicable)
5. Evidence of satisfactory Inspection issued by the relevant Directorate or Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) certificate for product line (companies with registered products).
6. Label or artwork of the product (should conform to Pesticide Labelling Guideline)
7. Comprehensive Certificate of Analysis. The certificate of analysis must be presented on a letter-headed paper of the Quality Control Laboratory where the sample was tested/evaluated and should contain the under listed information:
8. The brand name of the product
9. The batch number of the product
10. The manufacturing and expiry dates
11. The name, designation and signature of the analyst

For imported pesticides, the following documents should be included:

1. Notarized Declaration signed by a Notary Public in Nigeria.
2. Power of Attorney (POA), if applying on behalf of a manufacturer outside Nigeria. The POA should be valid for at least 5 years and must be signed by a senior company official. It must also be notarized in the country of manufacture; state the authority to register the product with NAFDAC and indicate ownership of the brand name or trademark.
3. A Contract Manufacturing Agreement (CMA), where the applicant is applying on behalf of his company. The CMA should be signed by the Manufacturer and the Applicant, and must be notarized in the country of manufacture. The CMA should also state the names of all the products to be registered in a clear language.
4. A Certificate of Manufacture and Free sale. This Certificate should be obtained from the relevant health/regulatory body in the country of manufacture, showing that the company is licensed to produce the food product and that it complies with local laws. The Certificate must also be authenticated by the Nigerian Embassy or High Commission in the country of origin or any Commonwealth or ECOWAS country, where no Nigerian Embassy exists.
5. A Certificate of Analysis. The Certificate of Analysis must be presented in the letterheaded paper of the Quality Control Laboratory where the product was tested.
6. A letter of Invitation for Good Manufacturing Practice. Write a letter inviting NAFDAC to inspect the manufacturing facility abroad. The letter should include details about the manufacturer and the local agent in Nigeria, including their contact information.

Step 5: Review of Application and Approval by NAFDAC

For locally manufactured pesticides, the products are submitted for an approval meeting following a successful documentation review, Good Manufacturing Practice inspection of the production facility and laboratory analysis of product. For imported pesticides, the next step in the registration procedure is the issuance of an import permit after successful screening of documentation and review of supporting documents. Thereafter, the product samples, as well as, the product labels are submitted for vetting. After which, the products are submitted for an approval meeting.

Note that for product labels with compliance issues, compliant artworks may be submitted with a commitment letter from the manufacturer (stating that the commercial products will comply with labelling requirements). Also note that, where the products are found to be of doubtful value, environmentally unfriendly, may break down to more poisonous substances on application or may be harmful and subject to misuse, it shall not be considered for registration.

Step 6: Issuance of Certificate by NAFDAC

The final step in the registration process of pesticides with NAFDAC is the issuance of certificate for products approved at the meeting. An electronic Certificate of Product Registration which is valid for 5 years is issued to the Applicant.

How Much Does It Cost to Register a Pesticide Product with NAFDAC?

The cost for registration of imported pesticide products with NAFDAC is not static due to exchange rates and additional costs in case of further compliance, where applicable. Also NAFDAC’s fees are subject to reviews from time to time.

However, below are some of the applicable the government fees for locally manufactured and imported pesticide products:

How Long Does It take to Register a Pesticide Product with NAFDAC?

The timeline for product registration from acceptance of submissions to issuance of Registration number is one hundred and twenty (120) working days.

Conclusion

In conclusion, before registration, there must be evidence that the pesticide product may be used without great hazard to human, animal and the environment. In the case of products known to be toxic, there must be indicated precaution, in order to protect human, animals and the environment. It is also essential to note that registration of a product does not automatically confer advertising permit. A separate application and subsequent approval by NAFDAC is required if the product is to be advertised.

Failure to comply with these requirements may result in the disqualification of the application or lead to considerable delay in the processing of registration.

We hope that this article is useful. Kindly reach out to get your pesticide products with NAFDAC.

You may also read on how to register animal feed with NAFDAC