NAFDAC Registration Cost in 2026: Fees for Food, Cosmetics, Water and Drugs, the Micro-Scale Discount, Steps and Timeline

If you make food, drinks, cosmetics or sachet water in Nigeria, a NAFDAC registration number is what lets you sell in supermarkets, export and advertise legally. Many small producers avoid it because they think it costs hundreds of thousands of naira. For micro-scale food and cosmetics, NAFDAC’s own figures are much lower than many people expect.

This guide sets out the fees from NAFDAC’s tariff and its MSME (micro, small and medium enterprises) pages, explains which category you fall into and walks through the process.

NAFDAC Registration Cost for Small Producers

Fee	Micro-scale food	Small-scale food	Micro-scale cosmetics	Small-scale cosmetics
Registration form	₦2,500	₦2,500	₦2,500	₦2,500
Certificate	₦16,500	₦3,000	₦17,000	₦6,000
Laboratory analysis (with VAT)	₦5,912.50	₦29,025	₦5,375	₦64,500
Inspection (with VAT)	₦11,825	₦32,250	₦16,125	₦32,250
Total per product	₦36,737.50	₦66,775	₦41,000	₦105,250

NAFDAC’s FAQs confirm the headline numbers: “Currently, Micro scale food is ₦36,737.50 while Micro scale Cosmetic is ₦41,000.”

Micro, small or medium: which are you?

NAFDAC’s MSME page describes the categories like this:

Feature	Micro enterprise	Small/medium enterprise
Staff	1 to 5	6 and above
Production space	One standard room or kitchen scale	Purpose-built facility in a residential or industrial area
Tariff	50% discount applied	Regular tariff
Trademark	Optional	Compulsory
Registration timeline	90 working days	90 to 120 working days

Under micro scale, NAFDAC says you can register no more than five products. Some products cannot be registered under micro scale at all, including meat and meat products (except dried), milk and dairy products, fish and fish products (except dried) and beverages. NAFDAC’s FAQs also list packaged water among the exclusions.

For cosmetics, NAFDAC says the products allowed under the micro and small scheme include petroleum jelly, shea butter, oil-based hair cream, oils such as coconut oil, laundry detergents, starch, liquid air freshener and soaps. Complex cosmetics such as multi-component formulas and pressurised sprays do not qualify.

NAFDAC Fees for Larger Producers and Other Products

For medium and large producers, and for products outside the MSME scheme, the fees come from NAFDAC’s main tariff. The tariff says all fees are exclusive of 7.5% VAT and registration is per product.

Product type	Micro	Small	Medium/large
Food, animal feed and premixes	₦22,000	₦30,000	₦40,000
Cosmetics	₦22,000	₦66,000	₦85,000
Herbal and nutraceutical products	₦20,000	₦30,000	₦40,000
Medical devices (including diapers and sanitary pads)	₦20,000	₦20,000	₦20,000
Over-the-counter and prescription medicines	–	–	₦80,000
Pesticides and retail agrochemicals	–	–	₦85,000

On top of registration, producers pay for laboratory analysis and facility inspection:

Item	Micro	Small	Medium/large
Lab analysis: food	₦5,500	₦40,000	₦40,000
Lab analysis: cosmetics	₦5,000	₦60,000	₦60,000
Lab analysis: bread	₦5,000	₦15,000	₦15,000
Lab analysis: bottled water	–	₦20,000	₦20,000
Lab analysis: sachet water	–	₦10,000	₦10,000
Facility inspection: food (per line, yearly)	₦11,000	₦30,000	₦40,000
Facility inspection: cosmetics (per line, yearly)	₦15,000	₦30,000	₦40,000

NAFDAC’s own pages do not always agree: its MSME page lists ₦27,000 for small-scale food laboratory analysis, while the main tariff lists ₦40,000. The application form costs ₦2,500. NAFDAC says a desk officer reviews your application, works out the type and number of products and issues a payment advice with the exact amount, which you then pay through Remita. Use that advice, not someone else’s estimate.

If you are planning a water business, see our guide to starting a sachet water business.

Documents You Need (Micro Scale)

According to NAFDAC, a micro-scale applicant should submit:

• CAC registration (business name or company)
• Site use agreement, where applicable
• Trademark approval (optional for micro scale, but NAFDAC advises it to protect your brand)
• One vetting sample and three labels
• Fumigation certificate for the production area
• Receipt of payment
• Food handlers’ or medical fitness certificate for production staff, covering sputum, stool, urine, Widal and hepatitis B tests

Small-scale applicants need more, including standard operating procedures (SOPs) for production, distribution and recall, quality assurance, cleaning, personal hygiene and receiving packaging materials, plus a list of raw materials and their sources. Upload all documents on NAFDAC’s e-registration portal, registration.nafdac.gov.ng. NAFDAC says each document should not exceed 500KB.

If you have not registered your business yet, start with our guide to CAC business name search and registration, and see how to register a trademark in Nigeria.

The Five Steps and the Timeline

NAFDAC sets out the micro-scale process in five steps:

1. Submit documents with the completed registration form.
2. Book your facility inspection. NAFDAC lets you choose a convenient date.
3. Product sampling. NAFDAC collects samples during the inspection, but only if your good manufacturing or hygiene practice is satisfactory, and sends them to its laboratory.
4. Product approval. Products are approved after a satisfactory inspection and laboratory report.
5. Collect your certificate when NAFDAC notifies you.

NAFDAC says the whole process takes 90 working days, or 90 to 120 working days for small and medium enterprises.

What Your Label Must Show

NAFDAC requires labels in English with, among other things: the product name, net weight or volume, batch number, manufacturing date, best-before date, space for the NAFDAC registration number, list of ingredients, storage conditions, directions for use, an allergy caution where needed, and the manufacturer’s name and location. NAFDAC also says information such as dates and batch numbers must be printed directly on the pack, not on a sticker.

Renewal and Late Renewal

According to NAFDAC’s tariff:

• Product licences are renewed every five years, and listing certificates every two years. A US Department of Agriculture report adds that some high-risk domestic products are licensed for two years.
• Renewal costs 80% of the new registration fee.
• Late renewal attracts an administrative charge of ₦156,250 (₦167,968.75 with VAT, according to NAFDAC’s MSME page).
• A product with an expired registration is treated as unregistered.

Penalties for Selling Without NAFDAC Registration

The tariff lists administrative charges for breaking the rules. Selling an unregistered product costs ₦5 million per product, or ₦200,000 for a micro enterprise. Other charges include ₦168,750 for an unauthorised advert and ₦2 million (₦200,000 for micro enterprises) for failing to follow good manufacturing, hygiene, distribution and storage practices. NAFDAC also says no regulated product may be advertised unless it is registered.

Do You Need an Agent?

NAFDAC’s MSME page is direct: “You do not need any middle man to get NAFDAC certificate.” Its FAQs add that NAFDAC does not encourage the use of consultants, and anyone who uses one does so at their own risk. Pay only through Remita using NAFDAC’s payment advice, and keep every receipt.

If you are also registering your business with the CAC, remember that it has its own yearly filing; see our guide to CAC annual returns.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does NAFDAC registration cost in 2026?

For one micro-scale food product, ₦36,737.50; for one micro-scale cosmetic, ₦41,000, VAT included, according to NAFDAC. Small-scale food costs ₦66,775 and small-scale cosmetics ₦105,250.

Is NAFDAC registration per product?

Yes. The tariff says registration is per product, and each pack size is evaluated separately.

How long does NAFDAC registration take?

About 90 working days for micro-scale products, and 90 to 120 working days for small and medium enterprises.

Can I register sachet water under micro scale?

NAFDAC’s FAQs list packaged water among products excluded from micro scale. Water registration attracts laboratory fees of ₦10,000 for sachet and ₦20,000 for bottled water, plus registration and inspection fees.

How many products can I register under micro scale?

No more than five, according to NAFDAC.

How long is a NAFDAC listing certificate valid?

Two years. Product registration licences are renewed every five years.

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Sources

1. NAFDAC – “NAFDAC Tariff” (effective 31 January 2020), nafdac.gov.ng, checked 1 November 2026
2. NAFDAC – “Getting Started With MSMEs” (procedure, tariff with VAT and MSME categories), nafdac.gov.ng
3. NAFDAC – “Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME)” page and FAQs, nafdac.gov.ng
4. US Department of Agriculture, Foreign Agricultural Service – “Description of Food and Agricultural Product Registration and Facility Inspection Fees” (Nigeria, report NI2026-0013), 18 August 2026

Last updated: 1 November 2026 · NaijaSabi Business Desk. NAFDAC fees can change; always use the payment advice NAFDAC issues for your application. This is general information, not legal advice.