Get an exact price in minutes. Send us what you’re shipping and where it’s going — request a free quote, WhatsApp 07587484631, or email quotes@sendcargotonigeria.co.uk. We connect you with trusted UK–Nigeria freight operators — one enquiry, matched to the right service. You pay the operator directly; no payment is ever taken on this site.
Every figure on this page is a typical market rate — your exact quote depends on the operator, weight and destination. Guide prices reviewed July 2026.
Air freight price list (UK → Nigeria)
Air cargo is priced per kilogram, with Lagos the cheapest lane on the corridor. Rates below are typical of what operators on this route currently charge.
| Destination | Air rate (guide) | Minimum weight | Handling | Transit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lagos | from ~£5/kg | typically 8–10kg | typical ~£20 | 5–7 working days* |
| Abuja | from ~£6/kg | typically 8–10kg | typical ~£20 | 5–7 working days* |
| Port Harcourt | from ~£6/kg | typically 8–10kg | typical ~£20 | 5–7 working days* |
| Kano | from ~£6/kg | typically 8–10kg | typical ~£20 | 5–7 working days* |
| Other states | from ~£6/kg | typically 8–10kg | typical ~£20 | 5–9 working days* |
* Transit guides assume normal clearance. Congestion at Nigerian ports — Apapa and Tin Can Island especially — can add 5–15 days to sea shipments, and peak-season customs pressure can add days to air cargo too. Express air (~£10/kg) typically lands in 3–4 working days.
Door delivery vs office collection rates
Most operators offer two ways to hand over your cargo, and the difference shows up in your bill. Dropping goods at the operator’s own receiving point is usually the cheaper option; arranged collection from your door adds a collection charge that varies by postcode and load size. 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. See door-to-door shipping for how the full service works.
Fixed prices for popular items
Small items are usually charged at the operator’s minimum weight (typically 8–10kg by air, 30kg by sea), so a phone doesn’t cost less than a small box. The figures below are worked from the per-kg guide rates above — treat them as ballpark, not gospel.
| Popular item | Air (guide, to Lagos) | Sea (guide) |
|---|---|---|
| Laptop (2–3kg) | ~£40–£50 (minimum weight applies) | — |
| Mobile phone | ~£40–£50 (minimum weight applies) | — |
| TV 32–55in | Get a quote (volumetric weight applies) | Get a quote |
| Suitcase 23kg | ~£115 at ~£5/kg | ~£75–£105 (30kg sea minimum) |
| Barrel (full) | — | from ~£60 |
Sea freight price list
Sea is the money-saver on this corridor — the trade-off is time. Typical transit is 4–8 weeks, and Apapa/Tin Can congestion can stretch that by a further 5–15 days in busy periods.
| Item / unit | Typical rate (guide) | Transit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boxed cargo (per kg) | £2.50–£3.50/kg | 4–8 weeks* | minimum typically 30kg |
| Barrel (full) | from ~£60 | 4–8 weeks* | the corridor classic — 家 barrels welcome |
| Per CBM (part load) | Get a quote | 4–8 weeks* | priced by volume |
| Car / saloon (RoRo) | from ~£450 | 4–8 weeks* | plus documentation |
| 20ft / 40ft container | POA — get a quote | 4–8 weeks* | full container load |
* Add 5–15 days if Apapa or Tin Can Island is congested — it happens, and no honest operator will promise otherwise.
Car & vehicle shipping prices
A saloon car by RoRo typically starts from ~£450 at current market rates, with SUVs and vans priced higher by size. Container shipping for vehicles costs more but adds protection. Full details, documents and the booking process are on our car shipping to Nigeria page.
20ft & 40ft container prices
Full containers are genuinely quote-only — rates move with vessel space, season and destination port, so any fixed number published today would mislead you by next month. Tell us what you’re loading and we’ll match you with an operator who handles FCL on this route: get a container quote.
What’s the cheapest way to ship to Nigeria?
There’s no single cheapest option — it depends on what you’re sending and how soon it must land.
Cheapest for large or heavy items: sea freight
At £2.50–£3.50/kg against ~£5–£6/kg by air, sea wins on anything heavy — furniture, appliances, bulk foodstuff, machinery. On a 100kg load the typical saving is £150–£350. If it can wait 4–8 weeks, ship it by sea freight.
Cheapest for urgent items: economy air
When the deadline is real — documents, a laptop for a family member starting work, stock a customer is waiting on — standard air freight from £5/kg in 5–7 working days beats express (£10/kg) and costs half as much. Express earns its premium only when 3–4 days genuinely matters.
Cheapest for barrels & boxes
The barrel is the corridor’s best-value unit for a reason: from ~£60 for a full drum, packed to the brim with foodstuff, toiletries and clothing, it routinely works out cheaper per item than any per-kg rate. One well-packed barrel before Detty December beats three hurried air boxes in November.
How to get the cheapest rate
Two habits save regular shippers real money.
Consolidate and fill your box. Operators charge by the box, barrel or kilogram band — half-empty space is money wasted. Combine your own items, or club together with family sending to the same city, and fill every unit before paying for another.
Choose office collection over door delivery. Dropping cargo at the operator’s receiving point avoids the collection charge, and taking delivery from the operator’s Nigerian office rather than door-to-door trims the other end too. On a single barrel the combined saving often covers the ~£20 handling fee with change.
Cheap doesn’t mean unreliable — what we can promise
Low prices on this corridor make people nervous, and sometimes rightly. Here’s how we keep it straight, with no stories:
- Transparent guide rates, published. Most companies on this route hide prices behind a phone call. Ours are on this page, dated and reviewed quarterly.
- No payment taken on this site. You pay the freight operator directly, so your money goes to the company actually moving your cargo.
- One enquiry, matched to the right operator. Barrel, car or container — we route your job to an operator who actually handles that work, rather than a generalist who’ll subcontract it.
- Straight answers on WhatsApp. Message 07587484631 and ask anything — including the questions operators dodge, like customs duty and prohibited items.
Send Cargo To Nigeria is an enquiry and introduction service — shipments are carried out by independent freight operators. That’s exactly why we can compare honestly.
Price list: shipping from Nigeria to the UK
The reverse leg runs too — foodstuff, fabrics, documents and personal effects from Nigeria to the UK. Rates vary more than the outbound lane, so these are quote-only:
| Service | Rate | Transit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air cargo (per kg) | Get a quote | 5–9 days* | minimum weight applies |
| Sea cargo (box/CBM) | Get a quote | 5–7 weeks* | foodstuff must meet UK import rules |
| Documents / parcels | Get a quote | 3–7 days | express |
* Outbound congestion at Lagos ports and airports can add days; sea delays of 5–15 days are possible. Full details on shipping from Nigeria to the UK.
What’s included in the price — extra fees explained
A quoted rate normally covers freight and standard export handling. Watch for these legitimate extras so nothing surprises you:
- Handling fee — typical ~£20 with most operators, per shipment.
- Collection — charged when the operator picks up from your door rather than you dropping off.
- Insurance — optional with most operators, priced as a small percentage of declared value. Worth it on electronics.
- Nigerian customs duty — payable on commercial goods and high-value items; the receiver usually settles this. Ask before you ship, not after.
- Door delivery in Nigeria — delivery to all 36 Nigerian states is available, but remote-state doorstep delivery can carry a supplement over airport/office pickup.
If a price sounds too clean, ask what it excludes. A good operator answers plainly.
How to calculate your shipping cost
For air: chargeable weight × the per-kg rate, plus handling — remembering the 8–10kg typical minimum and that bulky-but-light items are charged on volumetric weight (length × width × height in cm ÷ 5,000). For sea: weight or volume, whichever the operator prices on, with a typical 30kg minimum. Rather than wrestle the maths, send us the details for a free quote — dimensions, weight, destination — and we’ll come back with a real number from a matched operator.
How to pay
You pay the operator directly — by bank transfer, card or cash on drop-off, depending on the operator’s terms — and only once your booking is confirmed. Send Cargo To Nigeria never takes payment on this site. Most operators ask for payment before departure; some take part-payment with balance before release in Nigeria. Confirm the terms in writing with your quote.
Price list — FAQs
What is the cheapest way to ship to Nigeria from the UK?
Sea freight, at typical market rates of £2.50–£3.50/kg or from ~£60 for a full barrel, is the cheapest for anything heavy or non-urgent. Barrels give the best value per item. For urgent cargo, standard air from ~£5/kg beats express at ~£10/kg.
Is sea freight cheaper than air freight to Nigeria?
Yes, roughly half the price per kilogram: £2.50–£3.50/kg by sea against ~£5–£6/kg by air at typical market rates. The trade-off is transit — 4–8 weeks by sea (plus possible Apapa/Tin Can delays of 5–15 days) versus 5–7 working days by air.
How can I reduce my shipping cost to Nigeria?
Fill every box or barrel completely, drop off at the operator’s receiving point instead of paying for collection, and choose sea over air when timing allows. Consolidating with family shipping to the same city spreads the ~£20 handling fee and any minimums across more items.
Are there any hidden fees?
Not if you ask the right questions. The usual extras are a typical ~£20 handling fee, collection charges for door pickup, optional insurance, and Nigerian customs duty on commercial or high-value goods. Every quote we arrange itemises these — compare the total, not the headline per-kg rate.
How much is a barrel to Nigeria?
From ~£60 per full barrel by sea at typical market rates, with transit of 4–8 weeks plus possible port-congestion delays of 5–15 days. Packed well, one barrel holds a serious amount of foodstuff, toiletries and clothing — which is why it stays the corridor favourite.
How much does it cost to ship a car to Nigeria?
A saloon by RoRo starts from ~£450 at typical market rates, taking 4–8 weeks depending on sailings and port congestion. Larger vehicles and container shipping cost more, and Nigerian import duty is charged separately on arrival. See our car shipping page for documents and process.
How is my shipping cost calculated?
Air cargo is chargeable weight (actual or volumetric, whichever is greater) times the per-kg rate — from ~£5/kg to Lagos — plus a typical ~£20 handling fee, with an 8–10kg minimum. Sea cargo is priced per kg (typically 30kg minimum), per barrel, per CBM or per vehicle.
How do I pay for shipping?
Directly to the freight operator, once your booking is confirmed — typically by bank transfer or card, with 100% of the freight cost usually settled before departure. No payment is taken on this website; we make the introduction, the operator carries and invoices your shipment.
Get an exact quote
Guide prices tell you what’s typical; a quote tells you what your shipment costs. Send the details once and we’ll match you with the right operator for the job — barrel, box, car or container.
Request your free quote · WhatsApp/call 07587484631 · quotes@sendcargotonigeria.co.uk
Prefer to read first? See how air and sea compare, or start at shipping to Nigeria from the UK.