For a family occasion in Nigeria, work backwards from the date. Sea freight takes 4–6 weeks, so aso-ebi and event supplies want three to four months. Air freight takes 7 working days and is the answer once you are inside a month — or when the news came suddenly.
Family occasions are the shipments where timing stops being a preference and becomes the whole job. A barrel of provisions can arrive a fortnight late and nobody minds. Aso-ebi for a wedding cannot. This guide is about working backwards from a date that will not move.
Weddings and celebrations
The bulk of what travels for a Nigerian wedding is fabric and outfits — aso-ebi and lace for the family and guests, gele, accessories, shoes and bags, plus souvenirs, decorations and gifts. Almost all of it is light and bulky, which matters more than people expect: air freight bills on size as well as weight, so a few boxes of fabric can cost more than their scale weight suggests. Our volumetric weight guide explains how to pack around that, and vacuum bags genuinely help.
Working backwards from the wedding
| When | What to be doing |
|---|---|
| 4+ months before | Fabric sourced and distributed; plan one consolidated shipment |
| 3 months before | Book sea freight — 4–6 weeks plus a buffer for clearing and delivery |
| 1 month before | Sea has closed; anything outstanding goes by air |
| 2–3 weeks before | Last realistic air booking — 7 working days door to door |
Funerals and family bereavement
When someone dies, the shipping question is usually urgent and rarely planned. What people send is clothing and outfits for the family, aso-ebi where there will be a ceremony, provisions and supplies for the gathering, and contributions towards the arrangements.
Air freight is almost always the answer — typically 7 working days door to door, to any of the 36 states. When you contact us, tell us the date things are needed by. We would rather tell you honestly that a date is not achievable, and help you work out what can be done instead, than take a booking and leave you hoping.
Many Nigerian funeral ceremonies are held some weeks or months after the death, which often leaves room for sea freight on the larger items — provisions, supplies, seating and materials for the gathering — while the immediate personal things travel by air. If that is your situation, tell us both dates and we will split it sensibly.
One thing we do not do
We do not repatriate remains. Bringing a body home is a specialist, separately regulated service arranged through funeral directors experienced in international repatriation, with documentation and handling that a cargo company is not the right party to provide. If that is what you need, a UK funeral director will arrange it — and we are sorry for your loss. We can help with the goods that travel alongside such arrangements.
Practical points for either occasion
- Name a single coordinator. One person collecting everything and dealing with us removes most of the confusion.
- List the contents as you pack. It speeds clearance, and clearance delay is what turns a comfortable timeline into an anxious one.
- Check restricted items. Perfume and aerosols are restricted by air, and a surprising amount of ordinary shopping is prohibited — our checker takes a minute.
- Give a phone number that is answered. Delivery to the right person on the right day depends on it, and during a big occasion phones get ignored.
- Build in a buffer. Ports slow down, especially near Christmas. Aim to arrive early rather than exactly on time.
If the occasion falls in peak season
December and the weeks around Easter are the busiest on this corridor, and a wedding in that window competes with everybody's Christmas cargo for space. If your date lands there, book earlier than these timelines suggest — the deadlines page shows what is currently open.
Tell us the date and what you are sending and we will tell you honestly which service makes it — and what it costs both ways.
Common questions
How early should I send aso-ebi to Nigeria?
By sea, allow 4–6 weeks plus a buffer — so start three to four months before the event, because fabric usually has to be sourced and distributed before it even ships. By air it is 7 working days, which is the sensible route once you are inside a month.
What do people usually send for a wedding?
Aso-ebi fabric and lace, outfits and accessories, gele and headwraps, shoes and bags, souvenirs and party favours, decorations, and gifts for the couple. Most of it is light and bulky, which makes it worth reading up on volumetric weight before booking air.
Can you get something there in time for a funeral?
Usually, by air — typically 7 working days door to door. Tell us the date when you contact us and we will be straight with you about whether it is achievable rather than taking the booking and hoping.
Do you repatriate remains?
No. Repatriation of a body is a specialist, separately regulated service handled by funeral directors experienced in international repatriation, not by cargo companies. We ship goods only. A UK funeral director will arrange repatriation and the documentation it requires.
Can several families send together?
Yes, and for aso-ebi it is usually the sensible approach — one consolidated shipment costs far less than five separate parcels, since you pay one handling fee instead of five. Nominate one person to collect everything and book it as a single shipment.
What if the date moves or something is delayed?
Tell us as early as you can. Dates slip and shipments occasionally do too, and there is nearly always an option — switching a late sea booking to air, or splitting out the pieces that genuinely must arrive first.