Practical
freight guide
Nigerian commercial importing has a sequence. For products regulated by the Standards Organisation of Nigeria, a Product Certificate supports opening Form M, conformity evidence is developed for the actual shipment, and the resulting SONCAP Certificate supports PAAR and customs clearance. Booking freight before that chain is understood can leave compliant-looking goods without the references needed to enter.
Clever Couriers helps Australian businesses compare eligible courier and air-freight services to Nigeria. We quote the actual handling units, product, destination and timing while the Nigerian importer and its bank, conformity provider and customs agent complete the local process.
Confirm the importer and TIN
Obtain the importer’s exact legal name, registered address and FIRS-issued Tax Identification Number. SON states that SONCAP certificates cannot be processed without a trade-registered TIN. Also identify the authorised dealer bank and clearing agent responsible for the import file.
The customer contact or delivery address is not a substitute for the legal importer. Resolve who opens Form M, pays the assessment and answers Nigeria Customs before the goods are handed to a carrier.
Open Form M before shipment
Nigeria’s official trade process connects the importer, authorised dealer bank, Central Bank, Nigeria Customs and relevant product agencies. The importer should open Form M using consistent supplier, product, value, origin and classification data before the cargo departs where required.
Do not change invoice descriptions, quantities or values after the regulatory file has been created without the importer’s adviser checking the effect. Differences between Form M, certificates, commercial documents and the cargo can trigger queries or amendments.
Follow the SONCAP certificate sequence
For regulated goods, SON describes SONCAP as a pre-shipment conformity programme conducted in the country of supply. The Product Certificate is used for Form M, while the shipment-level conformity and SONCAP Certificate support PAAR and clearance.
Not every product belongs in SONCAP. SON lists exclusions such as food, drugs, certain medical products, some manufacturer raw materials, military goods and contraband; excluded goods may instead require NAFDAC, agricultural, security or other approvals. The importer should confirm the agency route from the tariff code and intended use.
Use the current National Single Window process
SON announced mandatory migration of relevant SONCAP and import-permit processes to Nigeria’s National Single Window from 27 March 2026. Certificate activation for Form M, PAAR and cargo clearance is handled in that environment. Use the current platform workflow rather than an old procedural article or saved form.
References should be verified before uplift and reproduced accurately where required. A carrier cannot issue or validate the importer’s regulatory approvals merely because space has been booked.
Prepare invoice and packing data once
The commercial invoice should show seller, buyer, consignee, legal importer and TIN; invoice number and date; precise goods; quantities; unit and total values; currency; origin; Incoterm; and confirmed tariff code. The packing list should reconcile each carton or pallet and its marks, dimensions and weights.
Technical sheets, model numbers and photographs can support conformity and classification. “Three 415-volt motor-control panels for a water-treatment plant” is more useful than “electrical equipment”. Samples and replacements still require a credible value and transaction explanation.
Allow for customs and product-agency costs
Nigerian landed cost can include tariff duty, VAT, levies, customs processing, conformity services, brokerage, inspection, storage and final delivery. The assessment depends on classification, customs value, product and current policy. Ask the Nigerian adviser to provide a current landed-cost calculation.
State which party is responsible for taxes and destination costs. A transport quote should not be represented as duty-paid unless the scope expressly says so and the importer structure supports it.
Plan Lagos and the onward leg
Lagos is Nigeria’s primary commercial and air-cargo centre, but delivery to Abuja, Port Harcourt, Kano or a regional site is a separate domestic movement. Congestion, receiving hours and site security can affect the practical handover.
Provide the state, local government area where useful, district, street, building or plot, nearby landmark and local phone number. For factories and projects, confirm appointments, access permissions, unloading equipment and the person authorised to sign.
Nigeria shipping checklist
- legal importer, FIRS TIN, bank and clearing agent;
- Form M opened with consistent shipment data;
- Product Certificate for regulated SONCAP goods;
- shipment conformity and SONCAP Certificate plan;
- PAAR and National Single Window readiness;
- NAFDAC, agricultural or other agency approvals;
- invoice, packing list, tariff code and origin;
- finished dimensions, weights and dangerous-goods data;
- payer for duty, VAT and destination charges; and
- complete address, access details and required date.
Compare freight only after the sequence is clear
Clever Couriers can compare currently eligible transport services and help coordinate booking and tracking. Nigeria Customs, SON and other authorities, together with the importer, bank and agent, control the regulatory file, assessment and release.
Procedures and capacity can change, and customs time is not included in a carrier transit estimate. FreightSafe is limited protection only and is not comprehensive transit insurance.