Shipping to and from Nigeria.
West Africa's economic powerhouse and gateway to 400M+ West African consumers. Our partner network manages imports through Lagos with full Nigeria Customs clearance and regional distribution.
Nigeria freight, coordinated across the whole operating thread.
Nigeria is West Africa's largest economy with 220M+ people. Imports include machinery, vehicles, fuel, chemicals; exports oil and agriculture. Nigerian customs is complex and slow (5–14 days typical). Port of Lagos dominates but is chronically congested. Murtala Muhammad Airport handles cargo efficiently. Corruption is significant concern (facilitation payments common). Currency devaluation impacts import costs.
Nigerian customs is notoriously slow and corrupt. Lagos: 7–14 days standard (sometimes 21+ days). Import permits required (agency-specific). 5% VAT. Facilitation payments common. Documentation complex. Port congestion chronic. We coordinate with experienced Nigerian brokers.
Annual imports referenced in the country profile.
Annual exports referenced in the country profile.
Trade position and market context.
Routing compared across ocean, air, ground, customs and partner options.
Port of Lagos (Apapa, Tincan)
Nigeria's only deep-water port (1.5+ million TEU/year). Severely congested. 7–14 day clearance typical.
Murtala Muhammad International Airport
Lagos's main cargo hub (500,000+ metric tons/year). West Africa gateway.
Murtala Muhammad
Air cargo gateway — Lagos.
Nnamdi Azikiwe
Air cargo gateway — Abuja.
What moves through Nigeria.
The freight plan changes by product category, Incoterm, customs regime and gateway. These are the trade patterns already documented for this market.
Nigeria rewards the right order, not a quick ship
Imports here run on a fixed sequence. Each step feeds the next one, and a step taken late cannot be repaired at the port. Read the table as a calendar, from left to right.
| Step | Where it happens | What it produces | If it slips |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open the import file with your bank | In Nigeria, before the goods ship | The bank reference that every later step quotes | The later filings have nothing to quote |
| Have regulated products checked at origin | At the supplier or a test house | A conformity certificate for that consignment | Cargo lands with no valid certificate on file |
| File the cargo details before arrival | At origin, once the vessel is booked | The pre-arrival assessment used to set duty | Assessment starts late and storage builds up |
| Lodge the entry and pay | Lagos, after the ship arrives | Release of the container for delivery | The box waits while the payment clears |
| Take delivery | Terminal, then inland | Cargo at your door | Free days expire and the charges climb |
What your cargo type demands before it loads
Nigeria checks goods at origin more than most markets. The work below happens before the container is sealed, not after it arrives.
- Regulated consumer goods — Electrical items, toys and building products normally need a conformity certificate issued before loading.
- Food, drink and cosmetics — These need product registration in Nigeria as well as health papers from the origin country.
- Medicines and medical devices — Registration sits with the importer and takes far longer than the freight leg does.
- Used goods and vehicles — Age and condition rules apply to many used items. Check the rule before you buy, not after.
- Chemicals and paints — A safety data sheet, the correct class label and a packing note travel with the booking.
- Banned items — Nigeria publishes a list of goods that may not be imported at all. Read it before you place an order.
- Machinery and industrial plant — Serial numbers and a plain description of what the machine does. Odd sizes need a lift plan agreed early.
- Spare parts sent by air — Small does not mean simple. A part still needs a full description, a value and the same import file.
Where time is lost around Lagos, and which gateway to use
The main gateway is busy and the roads around it are busier. Plan for that instead of hoping it eases on your sailing. Then match the entry point to the value and the urgency of the goods.
- Truck slots, not sea days — Getting a truck in and out often takes longer than the last sea leg. Book the slot early and keep a backup date.
- Split document sets — Papers held by three parties in three places slow everything. Keep one complete set with one owner.
- Descriptions that drift — The wording on the order, the invoice and the entry must match. Small edits by a supplier cause big queries.
- Late payment of duty — The clock does not pause while funds move. Get the duty figure early and fund it before arrival.
- No inland plan — Cargo cleared with nowhere to go simply sits. Confirm the warehouse or delivery point in advance.
- One person holding every approval — If one contact goes quiet, the file stops. Make sure a second person can act on the shipment.
| Gateway | Fits | Strength | Plan for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Port of Lagos, Apapa (NGLOS) | Bulk stock and heavy machinery | Deep water and main line services call here | Heavy traffic in and out of the terminal area |
| Port of Lagos, Tin Can (NGLOS) | Containers for the Lagos market | A second option inside the same city | Road access is shared with the whole port area |
| Murtala Muhammed, Lagos (DNMM) | Urgent spares and small high value goods | Papers are checked and cleared in one place | Air rates reward light, dense cargo only |
| Nnamdi Azikiwe, Abuja | Cargo for the capital and the north | Delivery inland without the Lagos road run | Fewer services, so schedules matter more |
Terms you will see on a Nigerian import file
Nigerian paperwork uses its own short names. Here is what they mean in plain words.
- Form M — The import file opened through a Nigerian bank. Later documents refer back to its number.
- SONCAP — The conformity certificate for regulated products, based on checks done at origin.
- PAAR — The pre-arrival assessment report. It records the values and codes used to work out duty.
- Common external tariff — The shared duty schedule used across ECOWAS members, applied by HS code.
- Importer of record — The party legally answerable for the entry, the duty and the accuracy of the papers.
- Terminal handling charge — The terminal's fee for moving your container between ship and yard.
Cost lines to budget beyond the ocean rate
The freight quote is a small slice of the landed cost here. Build every line below into your price before you commit to a sale. Use the tariff simulator for duty. Use the freight calculator for transport.
- Duty on the customs value — Charged by HS code, on the goods plus freight and cover. The code you declare drives the whole bill.
- Levies added at entry — Several charges sit on top of duty. Ask your broker for the full list for your product before you price it.
- Origin checks and certificates — Product testing and certification are paid at origin. Agree with the supplier who carries that cost.
- Terminal and port charges — Handling, gate and documentation fees appear at the terminal, separately from the ocean rate.
- Storage and container rent — Both start once free days end. This is where budgets break, and it is fully avoidable.
- Inland haulage and waiting — Trucking, escorts where needed, and time spent waiting to unload all get billed.
- Broker and agency fees — Filing, follow-up and bank handling. Small on their own, worth listing before they surprise you.
Services available for Nigeria.
Nigeria shipping questions.
Answered from the country profile and the operating requirements documented for this market.
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