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Best Africa LogisticsShipping from China to Africa

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BEST AFRICA LOGISTICS
$150 off your first order

China to Nigeria
Shipping and logistics

Our busiest route for 10+ years. In Ikeja, Lagos we have a warehouse, Chinese-speaking staff and our own clearance team.

Get a quoteImport requirements
West African container port yard with mobile harbour cranes, sea freight from China to Lagos, Nigeria
Collect at destination or choose delivery

China → Nigeria

Route overview
Sea · receipt to delivery
45 - 60 days
Air · receipt to delivery
7 - 12 days
Clearance ports / warehouses in China
3 ports / 5 warehouses
Fixed sailings
Weekly

Quote within 30 minutes

  • Import requirement

    SONCAP certification

  • Import requirement

    NAFDAC registration

  • Import requirement

    Form M and PAAR

  • Import requirement

    Import prohibition list

Short answer

Updated: August 2026

Shipping from China to Nigeria: which port, and how long does it take?

Our five warehouses in Qingdao, Lianyungang, Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Yiwu all take in goods. In Nigeria, cargo is cleared at the nearest of Lagos, Kano or Port Harcourt; the Lagos seaports are Apapa, Tin Can Island and Lekki Deep Sea Port, and air freight lands at MMIA. From the day we receive your goods to delivery, sea freight usually takes 45 to 60 days and air freight 7 to 12 days, including export declaration, clearance and local delivery; the sea leg to Lagos port is about 30 to 38 days. Sea freight is our core service; inland cities far from a clearance port usually fall at the upper end of the range.

Company profile

Best Africa Logistics

Freight forwarder from China to Africa: sea and air freight door to door with duties included, product certificates for your country, and five warehouses in China to combine and store goods.

Core strengths
  • 10+ years China to Africa
  • Own clearance team in Nigeria
  • Every step tracked
What we do
  • Sea freight: full or shared container
  • Air freight to your door
  • Ro-Ro and breakbulk ships
  • Customs clearance
  • Final delivery
Clearance ports

Lagos / Kano / Port Harcourt

Addresses
Lagos warehouse 2
No. 5 Lateef Jakande Road, Agidingbi, Ikeja, Lagos State 101233, Nigeria
Lagos warehouse 1
No 2 Henry Carr Street, By Guinness Bus Stop, Ikeja, Lagos State 102212, Nigeria
Shenzhen warehouse
Ground Floor, Building 12, No.8 Tangwei Industrial Ave, Fuhai Subdistrict, Bao'an District, Shenzhen 518103, China
Both teams and addresses

Our track record

Clearance rate (port arrival to release)
98%
Average clearance (port arrival to release)
3 days
China-Africa freight experience
10+ years
Customers served in total
2,000+
NigeriaGhanaTogoCôte d'IvoireSenegalMoroccoAlgeriaTunisiaEgyptEthiopiaKenyaTanzaniaSouth AfricaChina

Nigeria route offers

  • $150 off your first order

    • On freight of $3,000 or more

  • $200 off full containers

    • 3+ containers in one shipment

  • Destination handling fee waived

    • 2+ containers in one shipment

  • 3 m³ of freight free

    • Shared container, 45 m³ or more

  1. Free product compliance pre-check

    We check each item by product name and HS code for SONCAP and NAFDAC requirements and for any goods banned from import.

Sea, door to door
45 - 60 days
Air, door to door
7 - 12 days

Counted from the day we receive your goods to signed delivery, including export declaration, clearance and delivery

Warehouses in China
Qingdao · Lianyungang · Shenzhen · Guangzhou · Yiwu
Clearance ports in Nigeria
Lagos · Kano · Port Harcourt
Transport modes
Sea FCL / LCL · Air · Ro-Ro · Breakbulk
Send your product names for a door-to-door quote
ChinaNigeria

Transport and transit times

Transport modes from China to Nigeria compared
ModeReceipt to deliveryBest forGood to know
Sea FCL45 - 60 daysShipments close to or above one 20 ft containerOur core mode. The container is yours alone, inspection and release are per container, and cost per cubic metre is lowest
Sea LCL45 - 60 daysSmall lots, mixed products, consolidation from several suppliersThe container is unpacked and split after arrival, so it usually falls at the upper end of the range
Air7 - 12 daysUrgent goods, samples, high-value small itemsPriced by chargeable weight; battery products must be checked first
Ro-RoConfirmed per sailingConstruction vehicles, semi-trailers and other vehicles that can drive on boardNo container, no dismantling; vehicle SONCAP handled for you, chassis number (VIN) checked before loading
Breakbulk / flat rack, open topConfirmed per sailingOver-height, over-width and overweight construction machinery and heavy equipmentLashing plan based on dimensions and weight
Times run from the day we receive your goods to signed delivery and include export declaration, clearance and delivery; the sea leg to Lagos port is about 30 - 38 days. Ro-Ro and breakbulk follow the current sailing schedule. When your volume falls between FCL and LCL, we price both options door to door so you can compare.

Ports and delivery cities in Nigeria

We confirm the port before booking, based on your goods, delivery city and port congestion.

Nigeria's three clearance ports at a glance
Clearance portImport facilitiesNearby coverageNotes
LagosApapa, Tin Can Island and Lekki seaports, MMIA airportLagos and the south-western statesThe main clearance port: FCL, LCL and air freight can all clear here, and the three seaports can take each other's overflow when one is congested
KanoNorthern inland clearanceKano, Kaduna and other northern statesCargo clears in Kano, so northern buyers do not wait for release in Lagos and a long haul north
Port HarcourtOnne port / Port Harcourt port areaRivers State, Enugu, Onitsha and the south-eastThe southern clearance port, close to the oil and gas region; often used for project cargo and oilfield equipment
Nearest clearance port for Nigeria's main cities
Destination areaNearest clearance portNotes
Lagos cityLagosDelivered straight from the Apapa and Tin Can port areas; city traffic affects delivery slots
Ibadan / AbeokutaLagosSouth-west, a short road trip from Lagos
Kano / KadunaKanoNorth; cleared in Kano and delivered locally, no long haul from Lagos
Port Harcourt / Enugu / OnitshaPort HarcourtSouth-east; cleared in Port Harcourt and delivered locally, no long haul from Lagos
AbujaConfirmed before bookingThe capital; the clearance port is chosen by cargo type and current port conditions
Clearance at all three ports is included in the 45 - 60 day sea and 7 - 12 day air door-to-door times. The clearance port is confirmed before booking; remote areas need a separate check on access and surcharges, and in the rainy season (about April to October) inland roads can lengthen transit. The quotation applies.
A port gate with the barrier down; behind it two containers held in the inspection area with yellow tags, and a line of empty trucks waiting alongside
Clearance insights

Common reasons cargo gets held

Cargo gets stuck at the port when these checks are skipped. We run all five before every shipment.

  1. Item 01

    Confirm Form M is open before booking

    Avoid: Opening Form M after sailing

    Without Form M the PAAR cannot be issued, so the cargo waits at the port and the storage and detention charges fall on the receiver. Confirming Form M before booking is one of our fixed checks.

  2. Item 02

    Declare the real value

    Avoid: Declared value not matching the invoice or the goods

    Nigeria Customs compares declared values with reference prices for similar goods; values that are clearly low are reassessed and may be fined. Declare the real value, and the duties-included quote is locked on the real value too.

  3. Item 03

    Describe material and use

    Avoid: Vague product names

    Writing only "parts" or "daily goods" invites HS classification disputes, and a change in classification changes the duty rate and whether SONCAP applies. Product names should state material and use.

  4. Item 04

    Screen for SONCAP before shipment

    Avoid: Missing SONCAP

    Listed products without an SC certificate are held on arrival; getting one afterwards takes a long time and the cargo may be ordered back. The compliance pre-check exists to rule this out before shipment.

  5. Item 05

    Check every item when consolidating

    Avoid: Prohibited goods mixed into the load

    A single prohibited item can get the whole container held. When consolidating from several suppliers, we check each product name as it enters the warehouse.

Free compliance check

Why Best Africa Logistics

  • Our own clearance team in Nigeria

    • Not an outsourced agent · Two warehouses in Lagos · Chinese-speaking staff
    • We handle SONCAP and all Nigerian import paperwork: zero document errors, no clearance pitfalls

  • Vehicles and heavy cargo

    • Reliable Ro-Ro space · Lashing plans for flat racks and open tops
    • Vehicle SONCAP handled for you · Chassis number (VIN) checks · For vehicle and machinery buyers

  • Five warehouses in China

    • Shenzhen · Guangzhou · Yiwu · Qingdao · Lianyungang: warehouses near your suppliers, so pickup in China costs less

Clearance process

  1. Consignee opens Form M

    Before sailing

    The receiver applies for Form M through an authorised Nigerian bank; every later clearance document starts from it. Opening it after sailing is the most common cause of delays on this route, so we confirm it is open before booking.

  2. Check SONCAP / NAFDAC

    Before booking

    Products on the SONCAP list need a PC certificate before shipment, on which the SC is issued; food, medicines and cosmetics need NAFDAC registration. Each item is checked by HS code.

  3. Customs issues the PAAR

    Before arrival

    Customs issues the PAAR based on Form M and the bill of lading, invoice and packing list. These documents must match each other; a mismatch in product name, quantity or value sends them back for review.

  4. Declaration and duty payment

    After arrival

    We file the declaration at the clearance port and pay import duty, VAT and levies under the duties-included quote, so the receiver does not have to advance them.

  5. Inspection and release

    Customs may select the cargo for inspection, which adds several working days. Our people attend and follow up, and release status is pushed to your service group.

  6. Pick-up, delivery and proof of delivery

    After release we collect the container quickly to avoid detention charges, deliver to the receiver's address and file the signed proof of delivery.

Import requirements in Nigeria

Rules change. We check each product by name and HS code before shipping.

01

SONCAP certification

Products on the Standards Organisation of Nigeria's mandatory list need a PC product certificate before shipment, on which the SC is issued and presented at clearance. Whether a product is on the list depends on its HS code and use, so each item has to be checked.

02

NAFDAC registration

Food, beverages, medicines, cosmetics and health supplements must be registered with NAFDAC before they can be cleared and sold legally. Registration is per product and takes time, so start early.

03

Form M and PAAR

The importer applies for Form M through an authorised bank before shipment; customs then issues the PAAR before arrival. Both are required for clearance. Our Lagos team helps the receiver with them.

04

Import prohibition list

Nigeria Customs prohibits the import of some used goods and certain agricultural products, and the list changes. We only take lawful, compliant cargo with complete documents.

All-in price, duties included

  • Clear prices

    No hidden fees

  • Goods fully insured

    No other fees

  • 10 years of steady business

    Clear, documented company bank transfers

Included in the price

  • Pick-up around our five warehouses in Qingdao, Lianyungang, Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Yiwu, or supplier delivery to the nearest one
  • Customs inspection, scanning and port charges, plus storage within the agreed period
  • Cargo insurance for the whole journey
  • Export declaration and bill of lading or air waybill
  • International sea or air freight and standard surcharges
  • Import clearance in Lagos, Kano or Port Harcourt, with help on Form M and PAAR
  • Import duty, VAT and standard levies
  • Local delivery to the receiver's address

Not included

  • Extra duty, fines and confiscation when the declared product name, quantity or value does not match the goods
  • Port and storage charges caused by the receiver (for example no Form M, refusal, or no contact)
  • Mandatory certification such as SONCAP and NAFDAC (a separate service we can handle for you)

Every step trackable

Every step from warehouse to delivery is tracked, with early warning of any problem.

Written service guarantee

Liability, compensation and time limits are written into your service agreement.

Compensation terms

Cargo we ship

Goods not listed can also be checked: send us the product name first.

Categories we ship

Categories in detail

  1. 01Class 1: general cargo

  2. 02Class 2

  3. 03Class 3

  4. 04Class 4

Prohibited and restricted goods

Customer stories

  • Local wholesalerHardware wholesaler, Oshodi, Lagos

    Goods from several suppliers, consolidated into one shipment to Lagos

    Mr. IbrahimHardware wholesaler
    “What I care about most is whether each supplier's goods have arrived. Every batch comes with photos and a carton count. The hinge batch was 30 cartons short — it was caught and made up before shipping, not discovered after arriving in Lagos.”

FAQ: shipping from China to Nigeria

Which is faster, Apapa or Tin Can?

Both are Lagos's main container ports. Speed depends on current congestion, shipping line calls and inspections, so neither is always faster. We choose based on conditions at booking, and if one side is badly congested we can switch to the other.

Can you deliver outside Lagos?

Yes. Northern cities such as Kano and Kaduna can clear directly in Kano, and south-eastern cities such as Port Harcourt, Enugu and Onitsha can clear in Port Harcourt, which saves a long haul after release. Abuja, Ibadan and other cities are delivered after release at the nearest port, all within the door-to-door time. Remote areas need a separate check on access and surcharges, and rainy-season roads affect inland transit.

Roughly how much is Nigerian import duty?

Duty is charged on the CIF value at the rate for the HS code, plus VAT and several levies, and it varies widely by product. A duties-included quote is estimated from the product names and values you provide and then locked; actual rates follow the tariff published by Nigeria Customs.

Can you buy from 1688 or Alibaba and pay suppliers in RMB for me?

Yes. We offer sourcing and RMB payment: send us the product links or supplier contacts, and we place the order and pay the supplier in RMB. Goods arrive at our warehouse in China, are consolidated with your other suppliers' cargo, and ship to Nigeria by sea or air.

Can my cargo clear at Lekki Deep Sea Port?

Yes. In Lagos we clear at Apapa, Tin Can Island and Lekki Deep Sea Port. The port is chosen by the shipping line's calls and current congestion, and we confirm it with you before booking.

Is clearance in Nigeria outsourced to a local agent?

No. Clearance in Nigeria is done by our own team. We have a warehouse and a Chinese-speaking service team in Ikeja, Lagos, and more than 10 years of China-Africa freight experience. Form M, SONCAP, PAAR, CRI and other documents are followed directly by the team, so when there is a problem you speak to the people doing the work.

How do construction vehicles and semi-trailers get to Nigeria?

Vehicles that can drive on board go by Ro-Ro: no container and no dismantling. Over-height or over-width equipment goes on a flat rack, open top or breakbulk vessel depending on size, with a lashing plan. Vehicle imports need SONCAP certification, which we handle before shipment, and we check every chassis number (VIN) against the documents.

Which warehouses in China can receive goods?

Our five warehouses in Qingdao, Lianyungang, Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Yiwu all receive goods, so suppliers deliver to the nearest one and nothing has to be moved to a single city first. If goods from several suppliers are going in the same container, send them to the same warehouse; we count, photograph and measure them on arrival before loading.

Does Form M really have to be done before sailing?

Yes. Form M is the basis for the PAAR. Opening it after sailing means the cargo cannot clear on arrival and waits in the port while storage and detention charges keep building. We confirm with the receiver that Form M is open before booking.

Can the duty change after the duties-included quote is confirmed?

The quote is estimated and locked from the product names, HS codes and values you provide, and normally does not change. If the goods actually shipped differ in name, quantity or value from the quote, it has to be recalculated on the actual figures.

What happens if customs inspects the cargo, and who pays?

Our people attend the inspection and follow the release. Inspection and scanning fees are already in the all-in price and are not charged separately. Only when the inspection finds the declaration does not match the goods are the extra duty and fines borne by the party responsible for the declaration.

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WhatsApp / Phone (Nigeria)
Business hours
Mon to Sun, 2:00 - 17:00 Lagos time (WAT)
Lagos warehouse 1
No 2 Henry Carr Street, By Guinness Bus Stop, Ikeja, Lagos State 102212, Nigeria
Lagos warehouse 2
No. 5 Lateef Jakande Road, Agidingbi, Ikeja, Lagos State 101233, Nigeria
Head office, China
Ground Floor, Building 12, No.8 Tangwei Industrial Ave, Fuhai Subdistrict, Bao'an District, Shenzhen 518103, China
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Goods category (select all that apply)
  • Mon to Sun, 2:00 - 17:00 Lagos time (WAT)
  • Free compliance check
  • Used only for this quotation