How to Use the ESG Clearance Portal
The ECN Paid Audit & ESG Clearance Portal lets a company apply for an official ESG clearance certificate from NEIIA. You confirm your corporate profile, enter your ESG benchmark metrics, upload your audit logs, pay the clearance fee and track the application until a certificate is issued. This guide walks you through every step from start to finish.
Before you begin
Have the following ready so you can complete the application in one sitting:
- Your company legal name and RC number exactly as registered with the CAC.
- A corporate contact email and phone number.
- Your ESG benchmark figures — carbon emission intensity, energy efficiency index, grid deficit drawdown and waste disposal classification.
- Your audit package (the supporting logs or report) as a single file ready to upload.
- A debit or credit card for the Paystack clearance payment.
Step-by-step
Sign in and open the portal
Sign in to your NEIIA account and open the Risk & ESG portal. From your dashboard, click Apply for ESG Clearance to launch the application wizard. The wizard has four steps and your progress is shown at the top (for example, “Step 1 of 4”).
Confirm your company profile
The first wizard step shows your company profile, drawn from your registered details. These fields are read-only here, so check that they are correct before continuing:
- Company Legal Name (as on CAC)
- Corporate RC Number
- Corporate Contact Email
- Corporate Contact Phone Number
- Business Sector
If anything is wrong, update it in your account profile first, then return to the wizard. Click Continue when the details are correct.
Enter your ESG benchmark metrics
On the second step, enter the four ESG benchmark figures for your operation. These are the numbers NEIIA assesses your clearance against, so enter them carefully. See Understanding the metrics below for what each one means.
- Carbon Emission Intensity (gCO2e / kWh)
- Energy Efficiency Index (%)
- Grid Deficit Drawdown (MW)
- Waste Disposal Rate Classification
Upload your audit package
On the third step, upload your audit package — the logs or report that support your metrics. Click to select the file from your computer; once it uploads you will see the file name and size confirmed on screen. To replace it, upload a new file, which overwrites the previous one.
Pay the clearance fee and submit
On the final step, review your application summary, then click Pay & Submit. You will be taken to Paystack to Pay with Card. When the payment succeeds, a Paystack reference (for example, PSTK_82901) is recorded against your application and the package is submitted to NEIIA for review in one action. Keep the reference for your records.
Track your application on the dashboard
After submitting, your dashboard shows the application with a status badge alongside your company name, sector and RC number. The status moves from Submitted to Under Review while a NEIIA evaluator assesses your package. You can open the submitted document at any time to review what you sent, including your metrics and contact details.
If a revision is requested
If the evaluator needs changes, your status changes to Revision and a banner explains the reason in the evaluator’s remarks. Reopen the application, correct the metrics or re-upload a corrected audit package as directed, and submit again. Re-submission after a revision does not require a second payment.
Download your ESG Clearance Certificate
When your application is Approved, an approval banner appears and your ESG Clearance Certificate becomes available. Open it to view your certificate number, issue date and expiry date, and download a copy for your records and for sharing with regulators, lenders or LPs. Renew before the expiry date to keep your clearance current.
Understanding the metrics
Each ESG benchmark field captures a specific dimension of your operation’s sustainability. Enter the figure for your most recent reporting period.
| Metric | What it measures |
|---|---|
| Carbon Emission Intensity (gCO2e / kWh) | Grams of carbon-dioxide-equivalent emitted per kilowatt-hour of energy used or produced. Lower is better. |
| Energy Efficiency Index (%) | How efficiently your operation converts energy input into useful output. Higher is better. |
| Grid Deficit Drawdown (MW) | The load your operation draws from the national grid during deficit periods, in megawatts. |
| Waste Disposal Rate Classification | How your waste is handled, from formal, regulated disposal through to informal channels. |
Application statuses
Your application moves through the following statuses, shown as a badge on your dashboard:
| Status | What it means |
|---|---|
| Draft | Started but not yet paid or submitted. You can keep editing it. |
| Submitted / Paid | Payment confirmed and the package is queued for review. |
| Under Review | A NEIIA evaluator is assessing your submission. |
| Revision | Changes are required; read the remarks, correct, and re-submit. |
| Approved | Cleared — your certificate is issued and ready to download. |
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to pay before NEIIA reviews my application?
Yes. The audit is a paid clearance, so the package is only sent for review once your Paystack payment succeeds. Your payment reference is stored against the application.
I was asked for a revision — do I pay again?
No. Re-submitting after a revision request does not require a second payment. Make the requested corrections and submit the application again.
How do I correct my company name or RC number?
The profile fields in the wizard are read-only. Update them in your account profile first, then start or resume the application so the corrected details are used.
Can I replace the audit file after uploading it?
Yes. On the upload step, uploading a new file overwrites the previous one before you submit.
Where do I find my certificate and when does it expire?
Once approved, open the certificate from your dashboard. It shows the certificate number, issue date and expiry date. Renew before the expiry date to keep your clearance valid.