Nigeria CTN Certificate — The Complete Guide

How the Nigeria CTN certificate works: issuing authority, required documents, application process, timeline and the rules that apply.

This guide covers the CTN certificate for shipments to Nigeria — who issues it, which documents it needs, how the application runs and what the validation rules are. For the country procedure page, see Nigeria CTN.

Overview

The CTN — Cargo Tracking Note — is the cargo tracking certificate required for shipments to Nigeria. Requirement status: Mandatory.

Due to recent conflicting information about the Nigeria ICTN/ECTN certificate, confirm with your importer or customs agent in Nigeria whether this certificate is required for your shipment. Fees for the ICTN process are non-refundable once initiated.

Discharge ports

  • Onne Port
  • Port Harcourt
  • Calabar Port
  • Koko Port
  • Port of Lagos
  • Little Onne Port
  • Sapele Port
  • Warri Port

Required documents

  • Bill of Lading
  • Commercial Invoice

Application process

1. Send your documents

Share PDF copies of the required documents via sck@scktr.com, or upload them through the application form. There is no need to send hard copies for the issuance of CTN certificates.

2. Draft is prepared

Once complete, consistent documents arrive, a draft is prepared for your confirmation. A file specialist checks the shipment details against the documents before anything is filed.

3. Confirm the draft

Check every field on the draft — consignee, ports, weights, values and container references. Final documents must be submitted without further amendments; corrections after validation are charged separately.

4. Filing and validation

The confirmed file is submitted to the issuing authority for validation. The CTN number is issued at validation, so it cannot be shown on documents prepared before that point.

5. Certificate delivered

The validated certificate is sent to you and can accompany the cargo to the destination port.

Timeline

  • Processing time: 1–5 business days
  • Validity: One validated CTN per Bill of Lading.

The exact cut-off depends on the destination and the vessel schedule; confirm the deadline for your shipment with our team before filing.

Special rules

Validation deadline. ECTN for Nigeria is not mandatory at this point and this country’s ECTN procedure has been temporarily suspended. It is predicted that, with the joint initiative of the Nigerian government and PORT council regulations, CTN may become effective again.

Non-compliance. Without a CTN, entry of goods into Nigeria customs is impossible, shipments face penalties such as demurrage, trade becomes problematic for the importer and causes disputes, and there is a loss of profit on goods value and transportation expenses.

Frequently asked questions

What are the ENS and ACD documents?

ENS stands for Entry Summary Number, and ACD stands for Cargo Pre-declaration.

What happens if I don’t have the CTN certificate to export to Nigeria?

Entry of goods into Nigeria customs becomes impossible, you face penalties such as demurrage, trade becomes problematic and causes disputes between exporters and importers, and you face a loss of profit on goods value and transportation expenses.

How long does it take to get a CTN certificate for Nigeria?

Presumably 1-5 workdays, depending on document legibility, clarity, and accuracy. With complete documents it can be 1 day; with incomplete documents the process can extend to 7-14 working days.

How many ports does Nigeria have?

There are 8 ports in total: 2 big ports (Onne - NGONN, Port Harcourt - NGPHC) and 6 small ports (Calabar - NGCBQ, Koko - MGKOK, Lagos - NGLOS, Little Onne - NOFNN, Sapele - NGSPL, Warri - NGWAR).

Ready to file? Apply for a CTN certificate or go back to the Nigeria CTN procedure page. All country guides: Country guides.