Sending a Christmas Hamper to Nigeria from the UK: What to Pack and When to Book

For many families in Nigeria, the box from the UK is part of Christmas: the tin of shortbread, the tea, the chocolates the children wait for. A well-packed hamper is one of the simplest ways to be part of the celebration when you cannot be there.

R-Zone does not sell hampers. You choose what goes in, and we collect it (or you drop it at our Upminster warehouse), clear it through Nigerian customs and deliver it to the door, anywhere in Nigeria. This guide covers what to pack, what to leave out, and the dates that get it there before Christmas Day.

Shop-bought, sealed and long-life is the rule. These travel well and clear customs without trouble:

These are the items that get hampers held or opened most often. Leave them out:

• Alcohol of any kind, including wine, champagne, spirits and liqueur chocolates sold as alcohol.
• Fresh or homemade food, including homemade cake, fresh fruit, cheese, meat and anything that needs a fridge.
• Chicken-flavoured Maggi and Indomie, which are not accepted.
• Perfumes, aerosols and nail varnish in an air-freight hamper. They are flammable and restricted on aircraft.
• Cash and vouchers. Send money separately, never inside a box.

The full list is in our guide to prohibited and restricted items. If you are unsure about one item, ask us before you pack it.

A wicker basket looks lovely in a shop but travels badly. It crushes, it does not stack, and its shape costs you money: air freight is charged on the greater of actual weight or volumetric weight (length × width × height in cm ÷ 6,000).

The same food in the basket can cost almost twice as much to fly. See how volumetric weight works for more examples.

Packing step by step 1. Start with a new double-walled box. Supermarket boxes are not strong enough. 2. Heavy and hard items at the bottom: tins, jars and cake boxes. 3. Wrap every jar and bottle in bubble wrap and put it in a sealed bag in case it leaks. 4. Chocolate in the middle, away from the walls of the box where heat gets in. 5. Fill every gap with soft gifts, socks or paper so nothing moves when you shake the box. 6. Tape every seam with three strips of parcel tape. Do not gift-wrap the outside: customs may open it. 7. Label it with the recipient's full name, address with landmark and LGA, and Nigerian phone number, and put a copy of the label inside.

Air is the better choice for most hampers. It is faster, the box spends less time in heat, and it is the only option for anything booked after early November. Air freight starts from £5.80/kg plus a £20 handling fee per shipment, so a 10 kg hamper (the minimum for Lagos office collection) starts from about £78. Rates vary by state and by office collection or door to door: see the price list.

Sea suits large or heavy hampers with no chocolate, such as tins, drinks powder, rice and household gifts, if you can book by the end of October.

Hampers booked after 11 December will still travel, but they will arrive after Christmas, in time for the New Year. The full schedule, including what happens if you miss a cut-off, is in our Christmas shipping guide.

Pack it, label it, and book a collection anywhere in England or drop it at our Upminster warehouse. We clear Nigerian customs and deliver to the door, and you can follow it with live tracking.

Get a quote for your hamper, or: Call +44 (0) 800 772 0864 or WhatsApp +44 7915 647119 and a member of our UK team will help.