Shipping To Nigeria Guide - Air & Sea Freight

2022-11-02

What you need to know about Nigeria Customs

Before we get to the point, it's important that you get to know us. JIKE is a team of experienced people who are well versed in transporting services from country to country, whether it's Nigeria customs, Nigerian international airports, Nigerian ports, you'll find answers that will work for you, and that's why we've written this guide.

Guide to Shipping in Nigeria

This article contains most of the Nigeria customs knowledge most of which represents the problems we often encounter, if you do not find the answer you need you are welcome to contact us and an expert will discuss it with you within 24 hours.

Part 1.Customs system in Nigeria

Nigeria is currently one of the few countries in the world where import procedures and formalities are most complicated. As many of our domestic manufacturers are not well aware of the import procedures in Nigeria, they often suffer economic losses due to long inspection, transportation and customs clearance times, delayed delivery and increased costs. In order to enable our domestic enterprises to understand the import procedures, reduce unnecessary troubles and costs, and expand exports to Nepal, the following is a brief introduction to the current import procedures and formalities in Nepal.

  • Import procedures and notes

1.Firstly, all importers intending to import goods into the country must apply for an "M" form through any bank in the country, irrespective of the amount of the transaction or whether any actual payment has been made.

2.The imported goods must bear the name of the product, its origin, specification, date of manufacture, batch or article number and the standard of manufacture (e.g. BS, DIN, ISO, IEC, NIS, etc.).

3.In the case of food and beverage products, pharmaceuticals and chemicals, the expiry date or shelf life and their composition should also be noted on the packaging. In the case of pre-shipment inspection, the shelf life shall not be more than half.

4.Household appliances (such as fluorescent lamps, light bulbs, irons, electric kettles, etc.) must have a safety performance statement, and the power cord should be noted with the rated power.

5.Electronic products and equipment and other products should be packaged with text notes and operating instructions, not just iconic instructions; they also need to have safety instructions and markings. A quality assurance certificate and a warranty period of more than six months must also be attached.

6.The microcomputer and its hardware and software must comply with the year 2000 standard.

7.Plant products and raw materials, whether for cultivation, consumption or industrial production, must be accompanied by a sanitary and quarantine certificate from the exporting country certifying that the product has been tested, is free from pests and diseases and complies with the relevant international conventions; 8. all industrial products, including their accessories, must bear the brand name and manufacturer's name and be tested by the Nigerian Bureau of Standards in accordance with the law; and

9.That any discrepancy or intentional falsification of the data provided may result in delayed clearance or confiscation of the goods; furthermore, the imported goods must be marked and described in English, among other languages, or be confiscated.

10.Products for which the consignee and his/her address are unknown or which are out of date will be confiscated and destroyed.

11.All imported goods must be accompanied by the following documents and papers: a final invoice and a certificate of origin of value which, in addition to the contents of the original pro forma invoice, must contain the "M" form number, the specification of the goods, etc., as well as the specific port of arrival, the name of the ship, the proof and date of shipment, the origin, the country of export and other relevant contents. Packing list, bill of lading, carrier's certificate, insurance policy; proof of production standards provided by the manufacturer.

  • Obligations of the exporter

1.The exporter of the goods (i.e. the one who has an import/export contract with the Nigerian merchant) shall be responsible for contacting the authorized commercial inspection agency in the country of residence to carry out the commercial inspection of the goods. At least 3 days (working days) before the date of the required commercial inspection shall be notified to the commercial inspection agent.

2.The exporter shall provide the necessary arrangements and assistance for the commercial inspection at his own expense. If the commodity inspection company arrives and the goods are not ready or the inspection fails, all costs incurred shall be borne by the exporter.

3.The exporter shall provide the commercial inspection agent with the packing list, the final invoice and other required documents and papers.

  • Obligations of the importer

1.after the completion of the commercial inspection, the importer shall notify the exporter to submit the final commercial invoice to the commodity inspection agent within 72 hours for the issuance of the commercial inspection report.

2.The importer must not over-declare the goods, otherwise he will be penalised.

  • Payment of customs duty and customs clearance

1.The importer's bank account or the bank accepting its "M" form shall be responsible for issuing a bank draft or cheque to its principal in accordance with the amount on the commodity inspection report, which shall then be delivered by the importer to the designated authorized bank; 2.

2.All imported goods must be accompanied by the final invoice marked with the commodity inspection certificate number, packing list, relevant transport documents and the factory inspection analysis report issued by the manufacturer.

3.The bill of lading and the cargo manifest shall both bear the commodity inspection certificate number.

4.The relevant commodity inspection company shall mark the invoice provided by the exporter with an anti-forgery mark. The invoice should have the value of the goods in addition to the commodity inspection certificate number, proving that the goods have been subjected to commodity inspection.

5.Goods imported via neighbouring countries are also subject to commercial inspection.

6.The importer pays a fee of 1% of the FOB price for the administration of the integrated import service; the value of the imported goods shall be estimated at the average exchange rate published by the Central Bank of Nigeria at the time of the inspection.

7.The customs duties on imported goods shall likewise be recorded at the average of the exchange rates of the Central Bank of Nigeria at the time of the issuance of the commercial inspection certificate

8.In the event of discrepancies between the customs and the commercial inspection company abroad, the customs shall issue a "C101" form to inform the commercial inspection company.

9.The amount of customs duty and general administration fee shall be charged exactly as per the value of the commercial inspection certificate. If it is found that the valuation on the commodity inspection certificate is incorrect or incorrect, the customs duty shall be paid according to the valuation on the commodity inspection first, provided that the bank is authorised to issue a guarantee. Customs may, with the consent of the Ministry of Finance, estimate the difference and subsequently collect the difference.

10.The importer may not clear the goods until he has paid the customs duty to the authorised bank and obtained a receipt from that bank for the receipt.

11.Cheques for the payment of customs duties must be handed over to the authorised bank and the receipt for payment must bear the customs declaration number.

12.That all authorised banks have branches within the port for the collection of customs duties.

13.Customs shall release the goods within 48 hours if the importer can fully comply with the above provisions and procedures.

Part 2.Sea freight from China shipping to Nigeria

nigeria customs,nigeria internationl airport

  • Major ports in Nigeria

The Port of Apapa

As the largest and busiest ports in West Africa, the ports of Apapa and Tenkan in Lagos are responsible for around 70% of Nigeria's import and export cargo traffic.

In other words, the rapid development of Lagos is closely linked to the development of the ports of Apapa and Tenkan, without these two important and advanced ports, Lagos would have been much less developed, much less prosperous, than it is today.

Lagos

Lagos is located at the mouth of the Ogun River on the southern coast of Nigeria, on the northern side of the Benin Gulf, and is Nigeria's largest port.

It was built in the early 20th century and consists of six islands and a large part of the surrounding mainland, connected by a wide elevated railway bridge, making it a famous city on the water, hence the name "Venice of Africa".

Calabar

The port has a tropical rainforest climate with prevailing south-westerly winds. The average annual temperature ranges from a high of about 30°C to a low of about 20°C.

There are four main quay berths in the port area, with a shoreline length of 938m and a maximum water depth of 9m.

FORCADOS

The port area has 2 main offshore oil berths: the Forcados oil berth, approximately 11n miles from shore, with 2 single point mooring floats.

BONNY

The port's main quay berth is an offshore oil berth approximately 12nmile from shore, with a maximum draft of 22.8m, capable of berthing 320,000 dwt supertankers. There are underwater oil pipes with diameters of 711.2 to 1219.2mm and hoses with diameters of 304.8 to 609.6mm connected to them. The loading speed is 6,000 tonnes per hour.

  • How long does it take to get to Nigeria by sea

Shanghai to Apapa 36 days by sea with CMA, MOL, MSK, PIL, SAFMRINE.

Shanghai to Lagos port in 33 days with TANGIER as a transit port.

The sea voyage from Shanghai to Ona Port takes about 40 days and from Shanghai to Tin Can Port takes about 36 days.

Part 3.Air freight from China shipping to Nigeria

nigeria customs,nigeria internationl airport

  • Nigeria international airport

There are numerous airports in Nigeria and I would now like to focus on Lagos International Airport.

Nigeria International Airport——Lagos

Lagos International Airport is located in Nigeria and was built by a Chinese company. With nearly 30 international routes, Lagos International Airport is the busiest and most important air port in Nigeria. The original terminal building was built in 1979, and after more than 40 years, frequent power cuts, air conditioning failures and inefficient baggage handling were increasingly criticised, in addition to the fact that the old terminal was only able to carry 2 million passengers per year, and was no longer able to meet the growing demand for passengers and cargo in the region.

Construction of the new terminal building at Lagos International Airport began in March 2014, with China Exim Bank providing the financing and China Civil Engineering Group undertaking the construction. The project has a total construction area of approximately 50,000 square metres, including a four-storey main terminal building and a two-storey cargo terminal building. The new terminal is equipped with modern check-in, security and baggage handling systems, as well as Chinese style signage and furnishings.

  • Other Nigerian international airports that may be of interest to you.

Murtala Muhammad International Airport

This is one of the major international airports where you can ship goods from China.

The airport conveniently serves the city of Lagos as well as southern Nigeria.

Malam Aminu Kano International Airport

You can find this airport in the ancient city of Kano in the northern part of Nigeria.

Malam Aminu Kano International Airport is convenient if you are importing into the northern part of Nigeria.

Kaduna International Airport

If you are importing to areas such as Kaduna, Abuja and Zaria, then this needs to be the ideal airport for you to use.

  • Transit time for shipping

Parcel delivery time (China to Nigeria)

Air freight 3-5 days transit time - time sensitive cargo

10-15 days: LCL by air

Part 4.International Express / How to send to Niger / Charges

The couriers that can be sent to Niger are DHL, TNT, UPS and EMS.

Each express has its own advantages, if you send a few kilograms of express recommended to choose to send DHL, about four days to arrive.

International express delivery under 21 kg is charged at 0.5 kg for the first weight and 0.5 kg for the second weight.

Part 5.FAQ with shipping from China to Nigeria

FAQ
Q: How long does it take to ship my cargo from China shipping to Nigeria?
A:Even though most companies do not give you an exact date for the arrival of your cargo, they do provide an approximate date.In most cases these dates are reliable. But again, this depends on the mode of shipment and the frequency with which the shipping company reaches its destination.
Q:My supplier has no right to export. Can you help me export the goods?
A: Yes, We can purchase an export licence, process the customs declaration and send the goods to you.
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