Nigeria Customs bans a long list of goods outright and restricts many more — and finding out at the port is an expensive way to learn. Search any item below for a straight answer: don't send, check first, or fine to send, with the reason why.
Check any item
Nothing matches that. It may still be fine — ask us about your item and we'll tell you straight before you pack it.
Food & drink
Live or dead birds, including frozen poultry, are on the absolute prohibition list. Do not pack it — it will be seized.
Prohibited import. Fresh, frozen and processed meat all fall under this.
Birds' eggs are prohibited (hatching eggs are the only exception, and they need a permit).
Refined vegetable oils and fats are prohibited in commercial quantity. A single sealed bottle among personal effects is a different matter — but declare it and expect questions.
Retail-packaged fruit juice is on the prohibition list.
Waters and sweetened/aerated drinks in retail packs are prohibited.
Retail-pack cane and beet sugar is prohibited.
Rice import has been heavily restricted and the rules have shifted repeatedly. Small personal quantities usually travel; anything that looks commercial will be stopped. Ask us before packing a sack.
The staples of a barrel. Dry, sealed and clearly for personal use — routinely sent. Pack in the original packaging where you can and keep quantities household-sized.
Sealed, in-date, personal quantities are routine. Avoid anything on the banned list above (juice, water, oil, sugar in retail packs).
Allowed but heavily dutiable, and quantity-limited. Tell us before you pack it — undeclared alcohol causes delays for the whole shipment.
Medicines & health
Paracetamol, aspirin, multivitamins, folic acid, chloroquine, metronidazole and cotrimoxazole in tablet/syrup form are on the prohibition list — Nigeria protects local manufacture. A personal course in your own name may pass; a box of them will not.
Needs NAFDAC clearance. Send with a copy of the prescription and the patient's name, and tell us in advance. Never pack medicines loose or unlabelled.
NAFDAC-regulated. Personal quantities in sealed retail packaging usually travel; commercial volumes need registration.
Absolutely prohibited. Dispose of expired medicines at a UK pharmacy instead.
On the prohibition list.
Clothing & personal
Your own worn clothing among personal effects is routine — this is what most barrels are full of. What is prohibited is BALED second-hand clothing for resale.
Commercial bales of used clothing are prohibited. Personal wardrobes are not the same thing — but volume is what Customs judges.
Fine as personal gifts. As stock for a shop it becomes a commercial import — duty applies and textiles attract attention.
Footwear, bags and suitcases appear on the prohibition list as commercial imports. Personal pairs packed among your effects travel normally; a carton of twenty does not.
One of the most-shipped items on this corridor and routinely fine in personal quantities. Commercial volumes of cosmetics/hair chemicals fall under NAFDAC.
NAFDAC-regulated for commercial import. Personal quantities are routine. Note aerosols and perfume are also restricted BY AIR as dangerous goods — send them by sea.
Retail-pack soaps and detergents are on the prohibition list.
Electronics
Personal devices — a handful, not a carton — travel routinely. Back them up and remove passcodes-only-you-know before sending; we recommend air for anything valuable.
Commercial electronics need SONCAP certification and attract duty. Tell us the value honestly — under-declaring is what gets shipments held.
New appliances are fine with duty; commercial quantities need SONCAP. Remember Nigeria runs 220–240V, and check the plug type.
Used refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners and compressors are specifically prohibited. New ones are allowed with duty.
Allowed with SONCAP and duty. Must be drained of all fuel and oil before shipping — a fuelled generator is dangerous goods and will be refused.
Allowed with duty; SONCAP for commercial volumes. Lithium batteries are restricted by air — check with us first.
Needs NCC approval. Tell us before booking.
Requires permits from NCAA and security clearance. Do not pack one without telling us.
Vehicles
Allowed by RoRo or container with SONCAP and duty on the vehicle's value. You need the V5C. Estimate the clearing cost with our import duty calculator before you commit.
Used vehicles more than 12 years from the year of manufacture are prohibited. Check the year before you buy the car — this catches people out constantly.
Allowed with duty and documentation; the same age rules apply. Must be drained of fuel.
Generally allowed with duty — but USED and retreaded tyres are specifically prohibited.
Used and retreaded pneumatic tyres are on the prohibition list. New tyres are fine.
Household
Personal household furniture in a relocation shipment is normal. Commercial furniture imports face prohibition and heavy duty — tell us which it is.
Routine personal-effects items. Vacuum-bag them to save space in a barrel.
Routinely sent. Wrap handles and nest them to save volume.
Domestic articles and sanitary wares of plastic are on the prohibition list as commercial imports.
On the prohibition list.
Prohibited outright.
Generally allowed with duty; SONCAP for commercial volumes. Cement and plastic sanitary wares are the exceptions — both prohibited.
Hollow glass bottles above 150cl are prohibited.
Documents & valuables
Routine — send by air with tracking. Keep a scan of everything before it leaves your hands.
Never pack cash in cargo. Amounts over US$10,000 equivalent must be declared when carried, and cargo is not the route for money — use a licensed transfer service.
Must be declared and valued. High-value items should go by air with insurance — tell us the value honestly so cover applies.
Never send
Absolutely prohibited without government authority. Includes replicas, air guns and pepper spray.
Absolutely prohibited. Nigeria enforces this severely — and so does UK export law.
Prohibited in both directions. Counterfeit goods are seized and destroyed.
Dangerous goods — refused by air and sea carriers. This includes fuel left in generators and vehicles, gas cylinders and large aerosols.
Not something a cargo service can move. Live animals need specialist pet-relocation services; plants and seeds need phytosanitary certification.
On the prohibition list.
The one thing most people get wrong
Nigeria's prohibition list is written for commercial imports, not for the barrel your aunt is sending to Lagos. A single sealed bottle of oil among your personal effects is not the same thing as a pallet of cooking oil — and in practice Customs treats them differently.
But that difference is officer discretion, not a rule you can rely on. The safe approach is the honest one: keep quantities household-sized, declare what's in your shipment accurately, and ask us about anything you're unsure of before it's packed. We would far rather answer a question than explain a seizure.
The items that catch people out most
- Cars over 12 years old — prohibited outright. Check the manufacture year before you buy the vehicle.
- Everyday tablets — paracetamol, aspirin and multivitamins are on the banned list, which surprises almost everyone.
- Used fridges, freezers and air conditioners — banned, though new ones are fine with duty.
- Baled second-hand clothing — banned for resale, while your own used wardrobe travels normally. Volume is what Customs judges.
- Anything with fuel in it — generators and vehicles must be completely drained. Fuel makes it dangerous goods, and carriers refuse it.
- Aerosols and perfume by air — restricted as dangerous goods. Send them by sea instead.
Restricted isn't the same as banned
Plenty of goods marked "check first" ship perfectly well — they just need the right paperwork or the right quantity. Electronics and vehicles need SONCAP certification; food, medicines and cosmetics fall under NAFDAC; radio equipment needs NCC approval. We handle the clearing side, but we need to know what's in the shipment to do it. Tell us up front and it's routine.
List last reviewed August 2026. Nigeria's import rules change regularly — this is guidance to plan with, not a Customs ruling. Ask us about anything unusual or high-value before you ship it.
Ask Us About Your ShipmentQuestions people ask
What items are banned from being shipped to Nigeria?
Nigeria Customs bans frozen poultry, pork and beef, eggs, refined vegetable oil, retail-pack sugar, fruit juice and bottled drinks, bagged cement, common medicines like paracetamol, used fridges and air conditioners, used tyres, carpets, retail-pack soaps, and vehicles over 12 years old — among others. Search any item above for its status.
Do the rules apply to personal effects too?
The prohibition list targets commercial imports. Personal effects in normal household quantities are treated differently in practice — a bottle of oil in a barrel is not a shipment of oil. But that's Customs' discretion, not a right, so declare honestly and ask us if you're unsure.
Can I send food to Nigeria?
Yes — dried foodstuffs like garri, egusi, crayfish, beans and spices are the staples of barrel shipping and travel routinely. What you cannot send is frozen meat and poultry, eggs, retail-pack cooking oil, sugar, bottled water and fruit juice, all of which are prohibited imports.
Can I send medicine to Nigeria?
Common tablets such as paracetamol, aspirin, multivitamins and chloroquine are on the prohibition list to protect local manufacture. Prescription medicines need NAFDAC clearance — send a copy of the prescription and tell us in advance. Never pack medicines loose or unlabelled.
Why was my car rejected for shipping to Nigeria?
Most likely age: used vehicles more than 12 years from the year of manufacture are prohibited. Check the manufacture year before you buy — this is the single most common vehicle mistake on this route.
What happens if I pack something prohibited by mistake?
At best the item is removed and destroyed; at worst the whole shipment is held and fined, delaying everything else in it. That is why we would rather you ask before you pack — a two-minute question saves a barrel.
Does this list ever change?
Yes, regularly — Nigeria's import rules and levies shift with policy. This page was last reviewed in August 2026. We re-check it quarterly, but always confirm with us before shipping anything unusual or high-value.