By Chimdiogo Amuh 

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has approved a temporary window allowing importers to use National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) licences that expired on December 31, 2025, for import documentation.

In a circular dated January 26, 2026, issued by its Trade and Exchange Department, the apex bank said authorised dealer banks may continue to process Form M applications with the affected licences for a two-month period ending February 28, 2026.

The circular, signed by Aliyu M. Ashiru on behalf of the Director of the Trade and Exchange Department, stated that the approval follows a temporary dispensation granted by NAFDAC to address operational challenges arising from recent system changes in Nigeria’s trade processing framework.

According to the CBN, importers have faced difficulties validating or renewing NAFDAC licences following the migration from the legacy Nigeria Integrated Customs Information System II platform, particularly due to challenges encountered on the B’Odogwu platform after December 2025.

To ease bottlenecks and prevent delays in trade documentation, the bank directed all authorised dealer banks to continue accepting the expired licences strictly for Form M processing within the approved period.

The CBN emphasised that the arrangement is time-bound and will lapse automatically on February 28, 2026, urging banks to comply fully with the stated conditions. It added that the measure is aimed at ensuring continuity in trade transactions while NAFDAC completes the integration of its systems with the National Single Window.

The Federal Government had earlier unveiled the National Single Window and a new Trade Facilitation Portal as part of efforts to digitalise and streamline import and export processes. The platform is expected to become fully operational by the first quarter of 2026.