Cargo from UK to Nigeria in 2026: Rates, Transit Times and Door to Door Delivery

Sending cargo from the UK to Nigeria comes down to three choices: air or sea, drop-off or door to door, and how you pack. Get those right and you pay a fair, predictable price with no surprises at the Nigerian end.

R-Zone Enterprises (trading as R-Zone Cargo) has shipped between the UK and Nigeria since 2012. We have delivered over 50,000 shipments, hold 120+ five-star Google reviews, and run our own teams in the UK and in Lagos, so the company that collects your cargo is the company that clears and delivers it.

This guide covers our current rates, what is included, where we collect and deliver, how the process works, what you cannot send and how to pack. If you only need a price, request a free quote and we reply the same day.

Every R-Zone rate covers UK export documentation, transit, Nigeria customs clearance and delivery. Air shipments also carry a single £20 handling fee per shipment, which is shown on your quote. There is nothing else to pay on arrival.

Worked examples: London to Lagos

For a full breakdown by item type, read how much cargo costs from the UK to Nigeria.

Choose air freight if

• The goods are needed within two weeks
• The items are small but valuable (electronics, jewellery, documents)
• The weight is under roughly 30kg, where the saving from sea is small

Choose sea freight if

• You are sending 50kg or more
• The items are bulky: furniture, appliances, household goods
• You can plan 6 to 8 weeks ahead

Choose door to door if

• You cannot get to a drop-off point in the UK
• The recipient cannot travel to a depot or the airport in Nigeria
• You want one price and one point of contact from start to finish

Still unsure? Read our air freight vs sea freight comparison or tell us what you are sending and we will recommend the cheapest option.

R-Zone collects from any address in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Collection charges depend on your postcode and the size of the load, and are shown on your quote before you pay.

Regular collection areas

• London and the South East: all London boroughs, Essex, Kent, Surrey, Hertfordshire, Berkshire
• The Midlands: Birmingham, Coventry, Leicester, Nottingham, Wolverhampton, Northampton, Milton Keynes
• The North: Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, Sheffield, Bradford, Newcastle
• Scotland and Wales: Glasgow, Edinburgh, Cardiff
• The South West: Bristol and surrounding areas

Free drop-off at our warehouse

R-Zone Enterprises, Unit 9 Moorhen Yard, Elms Lane, Bulphan, Upminster, Essex RM14 3TS. Open Monday to Friday 10am to 6pm and Saturday 11am to 2pm. Please call ahead on +44 (0) 800 772 0864 so we can prepare for your arrival.

Air cargo departs weekly from London Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester; sea cargo sails weekly from UK ports to Lagos. London and England customers: see cargo to Nigeria from London and England.

R-Zone delivers to all 36 Nigerian states and the FCT. Air cargo lands at Lagos (LOS) or Abuja (ABV); sea cargo arrives at Apapa or Tin Can Island in Lagos. From there our Lagos team clears customs and delivers onward.

Per-kg rates, minimum weights and delivery times for every state are listed on our schedules and prices page. Delivery to the main cities is included in the standard quote. Remote destinations may carry a small onward delivery charge, which we confirm upfront at booking so there is nothing to pay on arrival. Sending to the capital? See cargo to Abuja from the UK or door to door cargo to Lagos.

1. 1Get a quote. Tell us what you are sending, the rough weight or box sizes, your UK postcode and the delivery city in Nigeria. We reply with an all-inclusive price the same day.
2. 2Book and pay. Confirm your service (air, sea or door to door) and pay by bank transfer, card or PayPal.
3. 3Pack and label. Pack in strong boxes, attach a contents list and label each item with the recipient's details.
4. 4Collection or drop-off. We collect from your address, or you drop off at our Upminster warehouse.
5. 5Shipping and customs. Your cargo joins the next weekly flight or sailing. Our Lagos team clears Nigeria Customs, plus NAFDAC or SON where needed.
6. 6Delivery. We deliver to the recipient's door, and you can follow each stage on the tracking page.

For a closer look at each stage, read how door to door cargo to Nigeria works.

Good packing protects your goods and lowers your bill, because you pay for space as well as weight.

• Use strong double-walled cardboard boxes; avoid used supermarket boxes that have lost their strength
• Keep each box to around 20 to 25kg so it can be handled safely
• Fill every gap with clothing or paper so nothing shifts in transit
• Wrap fragile items individually in bubble wrap and mark the box FRAGILE
• Vacuum-pack clothing and bedding to cut volume, especially for sea freight
• Seal liquids in zip bags and stand bottles upright
• Tape every seam with strong parcel tape, top and bottom
• Put a written contents list inside and keep a copy for your records

Full guidance: how to pack cargo for shipping to Nigeria.

Some goods cannot be shipped to Nigeria at all, and others need approval or special handling. If you are unsure, ask before you pack.

Prohibited: we will not ship

• Illegal drugs, narcotics or controlled substances
• Weapons, firearms, ammunition or explosives
• Counterfeit or IP-infringing goods
• Currency, bearer bonds or negotiable instruments
• Pornographic material
• Radioactive or nuclear materials
• Human remains
• Any item banned by UK export law or Nigerian import law

Restricted: allowed with conditions

• Food and perishables: NAFDAC rules apply on arrival; sealed, labelled, shelf-stable food is best
• Medicines, supplements and cosmetics: subject to NAFDAC clearance
• Electrical and electronic goods: must be declared and properly packaged; some need SON conformity
• Dangerous goods (aerosols, lithium batteries in bulk, flammables): prior written approval required
• Vehicles and car parts: sea freight only, with customs documentation
• Goods above £5,000 declared value: cargo insurance is mandatory

See the full list with examples in prohibited items when shipping to Nigeria and our guide to sending food under NAFDAC rules.

R-Zone clears every shipment through the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) using our own Lagos team, and handles NAFDAC and SON clearance where it applies. Clearance is included in your price.

What we need from you

• Sender's full name, UK address and phone number
• Recipient's full name, Nigerian address (including state and LGA) and phone number
• A contents list for each box, with an honest value for each item
• For commercial goods, a commercial invoice
• For vehicles, the V5C logbook and purchase invoice

Import duty

Import duty is a government charge, separate from shipping, calculated on the CIF value (cost, insurance and freight). Most personal-use household goods attract little or no duty. Commercial goods are dutiable under the ECOWAS Common External Tariff, plus 7.5% VAT.

More detail: Nigeria customs duty guide.

Standard carrier liability is capped at a low amount per kilogram, which rarely matches what your goods are worth. For that reason R-Zone offers optional marine transit insurance, covering accidental loss or damage in transit on both air and sea.

• Cover is based on the value you declare, usually CIF plus 10 percent
• The premium is a small percentage of that value, confirmed on your quote
• Insurance is mandatory for goods declared above £5,000
• Standard exclusions apply, including poor packing, ordinary wear, and loss caused only by delay

Read the full R-Zone cargo insurance plan and our explainer on marine cargo insurance.

Every shipment gets a booking reference when you book. Air shipments also carry an Air Waybill (AWB) number, and sea shipments a Bill of Lading number.

Enter any of these on the R-Zone tracking page to see live status, customs clearance progress and each milestone from UK collection to delivery. Our support team is available Monday to Friday 10am to 6pm and Saturday 11am to 2pm for any tracking query.

Clear labels prevent misdelivery and customs delays. Every box, bag or barrel should show:

• The recipient's full name as it appears on their ID
• The delivery address in Nigeria, including state and LGA
• The recipient's Nigerian phone number, which our delivery team calls before arrival
• The sender's name and UK phone number
• Your R-Zone booking reference
• A box number, for example 1 of 3, if you are sending more than one item

Write labels on two sides of each box in marker pen, or print and tape them securely.

• Bank transfer (BACS or Faster Payments)
• Debit or credit card
• PayPal

Individual customers pay in full before cargo is shipped. Business accounts can agree 14 or 30 day payment terms in writing. We do not accept cash. Your quote is the price you pay: there are no extra fees added in Nigeria.

• 12+ years shipping between the UK and Nigeria, since 2012
• 50,000+ shipments delivered
• 120+ five-star Google reviews (read what customers say)
• Our own teams in the UK and Lagos, so no hand-offs to unknown agents
• Weekly air and sea departures
• All-inclusive pricing with customs clearance included
• Delivery to all 36 states and the FCT

Wondering how to judge any cargo company? Our checklist on the most trusted UK to Nigeria cargo company shows what to look for.

Sea from £3/kg · Air from £5.50/kg · Door to door from £6/kg · Weekly departures · All 36 states.

Call +44 (0) 800 772 0864, WhatsApp +44 7915 647 119, or get a free online quote. Tell us what you are sending and where it is going, and we will give you the most economical way to get it there, the same day.