quotes@sendcargotonigeria.co.uk

UK → Nigeria · Air & Sea · Door to Door

Shipping to Nigeria from the UK

Air cargo from around £5 per kilo reaching Lagos in 5–7 working days, sea freight from £2.50 per kilo for barrels and boxes, and door-to-door delivery across all 36 Nigerian states. Send Cargo To Nigeria connects you with trusted UK–Nigeria freight operators — one enquiry, matched to the right service. Call or WhatsApp 07587484631 for a free quote.

All 36 Nigerian states
Air 5–7 working days
Sea 4–8 weeks
Same-day replies on WhatsApp
Free, no-obligation quotes
No payment taken on this site

Book your shipment to Nigeria today

Tell us what you’re sending — a 25kg suitcase of gifts, a full barrel of foodstuffs, or a Toyota Camry — and we match your enquiry to a UK–Nigeria freight operator who handles that job well. You get one clear price, not five confusing phone calls.

Get a quote online

Use the free quote form and you’ll get a typical price back the same day. Include the weight (or a rough guess), what’s inside, and the delivery city in Nigeria. Guide prices for common shipments are already published on our price list, so you can sanity-check any quote before you commit.

Prefer to talk? Call or WhatsApp

Most senders on this corridor prefer WhatsApp, and so do we.

No payment is taken on this site. You pay the freight operator directly once you’ve accepted their quote — no stories, no middleman markup on the carriage itself.

How much does shipping to Nigeria from the UK cost?

Price is the first question, so here it is upfront — something most companies on this route make you phone in for. All figures below are typical market rates based on our July 2026 survey of UK–Nigeria operators. Your exact quote depends on the operator, weight and destination, so treat these as a guide and request a firm quote.

Air cargo rates to Nigeria (per kg)

DestinationAir rate (guide)Minimum weightHandlingTransit
Lagosfrom ~£5/kgtypically 8–10kg~£20 typical5–7 working days
Abujafrom ~£6/kgtypically 8–10kg~£20 typical5–7 working days
Port Harcourtfrom ~£6/kgtypically 8–10kg~£20 typical5–7 working days
Kanofrom ~£6/kgtypically 8–10kg~£20 typical5–7 working days
Other statesfrom ~£6/kgtypically 8–10kg~£20 typical5–9 working days

Need it faster? Express air runs at roughly £10/kg with 3–4 working day delivery — worth it for documents, medicines within the rules, or that phone your cousin needs before Friday. Full details on the air freight to Nigeria page.

Minimum weight and handling fees explained

Two costs catch first-time senders out, so let’s name them:

  • Minimum weight. Most operators set a minimum of 8–10kg for air cargo and around 30kg for sea. Sending a 3kg parcel? You’ll still pay the minimum, so it’s often cheaper to add more items or wait and consolidate. See the parcel options if you only have a small item.
  • Handling fee. A typical ~£20 handling fee applies with most operators per consignment. It covers receiving, weighing, manifesting and export paperwork. Any quote you get through us states it plainly — if a price looks £20 cheaper than everyone else’s, check whether handling has been left off.

Sea cargo rates to Nigeria (boxes, barrels and bulk)

Sea is the money-saver on this route. Typical market rates run £2.50–£3.50 per kilo, and a barrel — the classic way to send foodstuffs, clothes and household goods home — starts from around £60. Garri, semovita, tinned goods, wrapped crockery: a well-packed barrel swallows an astonishing amount.

Boxes and Ghana-Must-Go bags are priced by size or weight depending on the operator. For part-loads and larger consignments, per-CBM pricing applies — the sea freight to Nigeria page breaks it down, and barrel shipping covers barrel sizes and what fits.

Car and vehicle shipping rates

Shipping a car to Nigeria by RoRo starts from around £450 for a saloon (typical market rate) from UK ports to Tin Can Island, Lagos. SUVs, vans and non-runners cost more; 20ft and 40ft containers are quote-only because rates move with the season. The car shipping page covers documents, duty and what to remove from the vehicle before handover.

How long does shipping to Nigeria take?

Air freight delivery times

Standard air cargo reaches Lagos and Abuja in 5–7 working days from the operator’s departure, with other states taking 5–9 working days. Express services cut that to 3–4 working days. Departures are typically weekly, so your total door-to-door time depends on when your items reach the operator relative to the next flight — worth asking when you book.

Sea freight delivery times

Sea shipments take 4–8 weeks door to door. The sailing itself is around four weeks; the variable part is clearance and congestion at Apapa and Tin Can ports, which can add weeks in busy periods. If your barrel must arrive for Christmas or Detty December, ship by early October — every experienced sender on this corridor knows the November rush.

Shipping services we arrange

One enquiry, matched to the right operator for the job. Here's the menu:

Also arranged: car and vehicle shipping, barrel shipping, and shipping from Nigeria to the UK for the reverse journey.

How the shipping process works (step by step)

First time shipping to Nigeria? Here's the whole journey in four steps:

1

Get a quote and book.

Send your details via the quote form or WhatsApp 07587484631. We match you with an operator; you confirm directly with them and pay them — never us.

2

Pack and label your items.

Pack tight, label clearly (see the guidance below). The operator will confirm any packaging they supply, such as barrels or export boxes.

3

Collection is arranged — or you drop off.

Collection can be arranged across East London and the East of England, or you deliver your items to the operator's receiving point.

4

Delivery in Nigeria.

The operator ships, clears customs, and delivers to your recipient's door. You'll have their contact throughout — see how it works for what updates to expect at each stage.

What you can and can’t send to Nigeria

Items you can ship

Almost everything the diaspora actually sends is fine: clothes and shoes, foodstuffs (dried, tinned and sealed), phones, laptops and electronics, toiletries and cosmetics, books, furniture, white goods, medical supplies with documentation, and vehicles. Commercial goods are fine too — declare them as such so duty is handled properly.

Prohibited and restricted items

Do not pack any of these — one prohibited item can hold an entire consignment at customs:

  • Weapons, ammunition and imitation firearms
  • Illegal drugs, and medicines without documentation
  • Flammable liquids, gas cylinders and most aerosols (air freight especially)
  • Counterfeit goods and pirated media
  • Currency and bank instruments
  • Used fridges, freezers and used tyres (Nigerian import restrictions)
  • Perishable fresh food on sea freight

Not sure about an item? Ask on WhatsApp before you pack it — a 2-minute question beats a 2-week customs delay.

Packing and labelling your cargo

Packing advice for safe shipping

Your items will be handled at least six times between the UK and Nigeria, so pack for the journey, not the shelf. Double-wall boxes only. Wrap breakables individually and fill every gap — a half-empty box is a crushed box. In barrels, put tins and jars at the bottom, soft items on top, and dust every layer of foodstuff packaging down firmly. Tape seams in an H-pattern.

Labelling requirements

Label every box and barrel on the top and one side with: the recipient’s full name, delivery address including state, and two Nigerian phone numbers if possible (networks fail; a second number saves a delivery). Add your own UK name and number as the sender. Number multi-piece shipments — “2 of 5” — so nothing goes missing in the count.

Customs, duty and documentation in Nigeria

Here’s the honest picture. Personal effects in normal quantities — a family’s clothes, a barrel of foodstuffs — usually travel under the operator’s consolidated customs arrangement, with clearance handled as part of your quote. Commercial quantities are different: twenty identical phones is stock, not personal effects, and attracts import duty, typically settled by your receiver before release.

Three rules keep you out of trouble:

  • Declare accurately. Undervaluing or hiding commercial goods risks seizure and penalties far above the duty saved.
  • Keep receipts for new electronics and high-value items in case customs queries the value.
  • Ask about duty upfront if you’re sending anything in commercial quantity — the operator can estimate it before you ship, not after your goods are held.

Insurance and cargo protection

Standard operator liability on this route is limited — often a fixed amount per kilo rather than the real value of your goods. For electronics, jewellery-value items or a full household move, ask the operator about additional cover before shipping; it’s typically a small percentage of declared value and turns a disaster into an inconvenience. Whatever you choose, photograph the contents of every box before sealing. It costs nothing and settles most disputes instantly.

How your delivery is tracked

Tracking works differently from a courier app: your consignment is tracked by the freight operator carrying it, with updates at the stages that matter — received, departed the UK, arrived in Nigeria, cleared customs, out for delivery. You’ll have the operator’s direct contact from the moment you book. The how it works page walks through the full journey and what to expect at each stage, including typical gaps between updates on sea shipments.

Where collection can be arranged in the UK

Collection can be arranged across East London and the East of England — Ilford, Barking, Romford, Walthamstow and Dagenham, plus Essex, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk. That’s postcode areas IG, RM, E17, CM, SS, CO, LU, PE, AL, WD, SG, NR and IP.

Outside those areas? You can still ship — courier your boxes to the operator’s receiving point, or check the collection page for area-by-area detail and costs.

Where your cargo can be delivered in Nigeria

  • Lagos
  • Abuja
  • Port Harcourt
  • Kano
  • Ibadan
  • Benin City
  • Enugu
  • Onitsha
  • Aba
  • Kaduna
  • Jos
  • Owerri
  • Calabar
  • Warri

Delivery to all 36 Nigerian states, door to door. Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Kano are the fastest lanes with the most frequent deliveries; Ibadan, Benin City, Enugu, Onitsha, Aba, Kaduna, Jos, Owerri, Calabar and Warri are all well served. Deliveries to smaller towns route through the nearest major city and can add 1–3 days after arrival. See where we deliver for the full picture.

See Where We Deliver

Why use Send Cargo To Nigeria

  • One enquiry, matched to the right operator. Barrel, car or container — each is a different specialism, and we route your job to an operator who does that job well.
  • Typical rates published. Guide prices from ~£5/kg air and ~£60 per barrel are on this page and the price list — most competitors make you call to get any number at all.
  • WhatsApp-first. Message 07587484631 and get answers fast, in plain language.
  • No payment taken on this site. You pay the operator directly, so there’s no extra layer in the price.
  • Local to the corridor. Focused on East London and the East of England, where much of the UK’s Nigerian community actually ships from.
  • Straight answers. Guides on duty, prohibited items and packing that tell you what operators often don’t.

Shipping to Nigeria — frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to ship to Nigeria from the UK?

Typical market rates start around £5 per kilo by air to Lagos and £6 per kilo to Abuja, Port Harcourt, Kano and other states. Sea freight runs £2.50–£3.50 per kilo, with barrels from about £60. Your exact quote depends on the operator, weight and destination — get one free on 07587484631.

How long does delivery to Nigeria take by air and by sea?

Air cargo usually lands in Lagos or Abuja within 5–7 working days of departure, with express services around 3–4 working days at roughly £10 per kilo. Sea freight takes 4–8 weeks depending on sailings and port congestion at Apapa or Tin Can — allow extra time before fixed dates like Christmas.

Do you deliver door-to-door inside Nigeria?

Yes — the operators we connect you with deliver to all 36 Nigerian states. Door-to-door means collection or drop-off in the UK right through to your recipient’s address in Nigeria. Major cities like Lagos and Abuja are fastest; smaller towns route via the nearest city and can add 1–3 days.

What is the cheapest way to send my things to Nigeria?

Sea freight — typically £2.50–£3.50 per kilo against £5–£6 by air. A full barrel from about £60 is usually the best value for foodstuffs, clothes and household items if you can wait 4–8 weeks. Fill every barrel or box completely: you pay for the space either way.

Which items are prohibited when shipping to Nigeria?

You can’t ship weapons, illegal drugs, counterfeit goods, currency, or most aerosols and flammable liquids by air. Nigeria also restricts used fridges and used tyres, and medicines need documentation. Ask before packing anything borderline — a single prohibited item can hold a whole 100kg consignment at customs for weeks.

Do I have to pay import duty in Nigeria, and how?

Personal effects in normal quantities usually travel under the operator’s consolidated customs arrangement, with clearance built into your quote. Commercial quantities — say 20 identical phones — attract duty, typically paid by your receiver before release. Declare honestly: undeclared commercial goods risk seizure and penalties far above the duty owed.

Which parts of the UK can collection be arranged from?

Collection can be arranged across East London and the East of England: Ilford, Barking, Romford, Walthamstow and Dagenham, plus Essex, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk — 13 postcode areas (IG, RM, E17, CM, SS, CO, LU, PE, AL, WD, SG, NR, IP). Elsewhere, courier your items to the operator’s receiving point.

Ready to ship to Nigeria? Get your free quote

Tell us the weight, the contents and the destination city — we’ll match you with the right UK–Nigeria freight operator and you’ll have a firm price, usually the same day.

Typical rates from ~£5/kg by air and ~£60 per barrel by sea. No payment taken on this site — you pay the operator directly.