Two-month dispensation targets documentation delays linked to customs platform migration
The Central Bank of Nigeria has approved the temporary use of expired National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) licences by importers for import documentation purposes, following operational challenges tied to ongoing system upgrades.
The approval was conveyed in a circular dated January 26, 2026, issued by the apex bank’s Trade and Exchange Department and published on the CBN’s website on Tuesday.
According to the circular, authorised dealer banks may continue to process Form M applications using NAFDAC licences that expired on December 31, 2025. The measure takes immediate effect and will run for a two-month period, ending on February 28, 2026.
The circular, signed by Aliyu M. Ashiru on behalf of the Director of the Trade and Exchange Department, stated that the decision followed a temporary dispensation granted by NAFDAC.
“The Central Bank of Nigeria wishes to notify all Authorised Dealer Banks and the general public of a temporary dispensation offered by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control permitting the continued use of NAFDAC licences that expired on 31st December, 2025, for the processing of Forms M for a two-month temporary dispensation ending February 28, 2026,” the circular read.
The CBN explained that the approval was necessitated by operational difficulties arising from the migration from the legacy Nigeria Integrated Customs Information System II platform. Importers, the bank noted, have faced challenges validating or renewing NAFDAC licences during the transition, particularly due to issues encountered on the B’Odogwu platform after December 2025.
To ease bottlenecks and prevent delays in import documentation, the apex bank directed all authorised dealer banks to continue accepting the affected licences strictly within the approved window.
The CBN added that the measure is intended to ensure continuity in trade transactions while NAFDAC completes the integration of its systems with the National Single Window.
It stressed that the arrangement is time-bound and urged banks to comply strictly with the terms of the approval, noting that the dispensation will lapse automatically on February 28, 2026.
