The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has approved the temporary use of expired National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) licences by importers for import documentation purposes.

 

 

In a circular issued on January 26, 2026, by the Trade and Exchange Department of the apex bank and published on its website on Tuesday, the CBN said authorised dealer banks may continue to process Form M applications using NAFDAC licences that expired on December 31, 2025.

 

 

The bank said the decision was necessitated by operational challenges arising from the migration from the legacy Nigeria Integrated Customs Information System II platform.

 

 

According to the circular, the temporary approval takes immediate effect and will run for two months, expiring on February 28, 2026.

 

 

“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, signed by Aliyu M. Ashiru for the Director of the Trade and Exchange Department, stated.

 

 

The CBN explained that the approval followed a temporary dispensation granted by NAFDAC and applies strictly to Form M processing during the approved period.

 

 

It noted that many importers have been unable to validate or renew their NAFDAC licences since the system transition, particularly due to difficulties encountered on the B’Odogwu platform after December 2025.

 

 

To address the bottlenecks and prevent delays in import documentation, the bank directed all authorised dealer banks to continue accepting the affected licences within the two-month 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.

 

 

The apex bank stressed that the arrangement is time-bound and urged banks to comply strictly with the directive, noting that the approval would lapse automatically on February 28, 2026.