Guys,

I am relocating to Naija after 13 years. Phew (I'm sweating already). I intend shipping my furniture, good for a one bedroom apartment to Nigeria because I love them. Can you please advise on the cost of shipping the furniture and MORE importantly, clearing cost and any tariffs involved? I am looking to ship as soon as practicable. Clearing agents are also welcome to contact me.

THANKS!!!

Hi there!
As a returnee, you are entitled to ship "personal effects" in two (2) 40 foot containers, after your sojourn abroad. "Personal effects", for the record, includes your used furniture, your used clothing and vehicle(s), basically all of your personal items with which you wish to return. Legal items only (no guns, no ammo, no smokes and paraphernalia ). This means two things: 1. Items that are normally banned (furniture, used clothing) will be allowable on your container, but in "non-commercial" quantity (not a full container of 'bend down boutique' clothing or of furniture!); and 2. The duties payable would be either marginally lower or significantly lower than usual, depending on your agent.

Recent example:
returnee shipped items in 2011 in a 40footer from Savannah, GA.
Bill of lading listed "personal effects" - used furniture, used electronics, housewares, books, used clothing, used vehicle (actual contents).
Clearing and inspection done, with no serious problems (One SON officer took a wall bar shower off my container for "testing". Never got it back!).

Total fees paid:
$5400 for 40 footer
N1.5M clearing fees (plus truck driver and demurrage after 3 days of grace)
N30,000 to offload container at a secure location near TinCan
N15,000 to daily hire port hands to offload the container into smaller trucks under my watchful eye at 7AM.
N150,000 for 2 / 3 smaller trucks to transport my items to my location in Lagos (Optional. I did not want the attention generated from a container arrival)
N10,000 my local guys to offload trucks into property.

6PM done, showered, sipping a cold drink.

Caveat - this is my example. I have heard horror stories, especially regarding fees assessed, satanic clearing agents and missing items. You decide.

Quality of merchandise including furniture has increased in Nigeria so I see no need to ship those. Just take the bigger newer stuff.

Pls ship your stuff. Furniture can be overpriced here to buy and furniture makers are extremely unreliable and can't be trusted to maintain a certain standard.

You know this "quality has improved in Nigeria" talk is amusing. To be fair, local furniture has improved somewhat, however people like what they like. If a person wants his furniture from the UK and can afford it, then so be it. Truth be told, even my cheap chaise lounge from Ikea is significantly more comfortable than the sofa set I paid a lot of money to have made here!

Improvement or not is relative.

IMHO, I saw vast improvements in quality of workmanship. I will say it is dependent on where one shops. I don't shop iKea as a matter of persomnal preference and I consider their merchanise to be inferior. Maybe for college dorms then iKea might be appropriate.

My point precisely! Ikea is infact cheaply made, however the quality and feel of an Ikea chaise is significantly better than most locally made sofas. That speaks volumes of the relative quality of the locally made items.

Ordinary furniture, Una wan import coz Nigeria made furnitures are "not comfortable".

How do u expect your country to develop when you do everything within your power to under~ develop the economy?

It you same people that will wail and complain that Nigeria is importing everything, GDP is low, the Nigeria economy is bad, the Naira is not strong against the dollar, the Nigerian education system is bad. . . bla bla bla. . .

It is you same people that will berate and abuse INEC for printing ballot papers abroad. . . INNOSON vehicles are moving coffins

Hypocrisy in its highest.

If you need furniture in Nigeria, go buy from Alibert www.alibert-group.com

You hear?

oweniwe: Ordinary furniture, Una wan import coz Nigeria made furnitures are "not comfortable".

How do u expect your country to develop when you do everything within your power to under~ develop the economy?

It you same people that will wail and complain that Nigeria is importing everything, GDP is low, the Nigeria economy is bad, the Naira is not strong against the dollar, the Nigerian education system is bad. . . bla bla bla. . .

It is you same people that will berate and abuse INEC for printing ballot papers abroad. . . INNOSON vehicles are moving coffins

Hypocrisy in its highest.

If you need furniture in Nigeria, go buy from Alibert www.alibert-group.com

You hear?

I hear and I agree.

The Innoson thing pains me greatly. I think FG should impose a 35% import tarrif on any type of vehicle that is available from Innoson with 5% going to Innoson as an interest free loan and 15% going to local automotive manufacturing sector in general for development.

Regarding furniture, my Guy in Ibadan can custom make any furniture from a magazine.

. . .

Somorin#1:


I hear and I agree.

The Innoson thing pains me greatly. I think FG should impose a 35% import tarrif on any type of vehicle that is available from Innoson with 5% going to Innoson as an interest free loan and 15% going to local automotive manufacturing sector in general for development.

Regarding furniture, my Guy in Ibadan can custom make any furniture from a magazine.

i must confess. . I don't agree on d 35% tariff things. It won.t work here in Nigeria. Hint it and people will start shouting "Igbo Agenda" . ! Like Okonjo- Iweala sectionalization rants.

The key to INNOSON's growth is in their own hands. They should emulate KIA's aggressive marketing mode when KIA was first introduced into d country about 9 years ago.

Sooooo @Maxman2013

How are you finding things in Naija.. or have you retiurned? did you eventually get your furniture in? how was the experience?