How to import things into Nigeria through DHL, Fedex or UPS

Posted by Felix Okoli on Monday August 31, 2015 at 9:24:8:

In the business of air courier services, three of the top companies that are involved in the Nigerian market are DHL, Fedex and UPS. They are all international brands and they all do offer good service to their clients who may want to get or send things to or from international destinations. You can have them bring things to you in Nigeria from the USA, UK or even China and you can send things there too if you want.

Importation is a good business to do in Nigeria and the business model basically requires one to buy things at wholesale prices and in bulk, bring them into Nigeria and resell to smaller merchants for profit.

Ordinarily, most importers in Nigeria import things through the ocean by loading their goods in containers and letting them sail on ships till they reach the sea ports in Nigeria. Such a business requires a lot of capital and also takes time before the goods arrive. What if you could get access to foreign made products in Nigeria at a much faster rate? Well, this is already possible if you decide to ship the goods through airplanes by using a fast courier service company.

Importing goods through the air by making use of DHL, Fedex or UPS can be more expensive than importing them through the sea but you can still make some profit from the business by simply adding your own profit on top of your importation cost. There are always Nigerians who are willing to buy goods that are imported and don't always bother about the price.

You can import things like designer clothes, shoes, jewelleries, computer items, solar panels, high tech gadgets and so on through the air at a much faster rate than through the sea and all you basically need is a foreign partner than can help you forward the goods.

Let's assume you want to import an item like a brand new laptop that costs N100k and you find it on Amazon, you can purchase it online, pay with your Naira card and have it delivered to your US shipping agent who will then send it to you in Nigeria through a courier company of your choice for a shipping fee. Last time I imported a 6 lbs laptop through DHL, it cost me about $100 and so the shipping cost depends on the weight of the item you want to import. You can import clothes, shoes, books and so on and you can buy it online yourself on sites like Amazon and Macy's before bringing them to Nigeria.

Some Nigerians travel abroad to buy things and them bring them to Nigeria on the plane themselves while some are included to their cargo. They will have to get a Visa first and also pay for a return ticket before buying those things. With a US mail forwarding company however, you can save money and avoid stress by just buying the things you want to resell in Nigeria online using the internet and your Naira Visa or Mastercard. Yes, Naira cards now work on several online shopping websites and Amazon is one website that I can vouch for.

When importing things into Nigeria using DHL, FedEx or UPS, it takes about 5 working days to get to Nigeria and at times less. You will also be able to track the location online by making use of their online tracking tools. If there are any additional fees you have to pay for custom, you will be informed and you'd pay it directly to your shipping company through their bank accounts.

This business model is simple as all it requires is that you first get a foreign shipping agent e.g. a US shipping agent, a Naira card for online payment and then shopping on shopping websites like Amazon that accepts payments from Nigeria. The items will be delivered by the seller to you in Nigeria if they offer direct shipping or first delivered to your US shipping company before being forwarded to you in Nigeria through DHL, Fedex or UPS.

This business is recommended for people who want to get faster access to foreign goods, those who want things that are scarce in Nigeria and those who want things that are brand new and original without minding the cost.

When shopping on websites like Amazon, you can save money by taking advantage of deals during special shopping days like Black Friday and CyberMonday.

Nowadays, even websites like Amazon offer direct shipping to Nigeria after you make your purchase for certain items. However, if there are items that they don't deliver directly to Nigeria yet, you can still get things items in Nigeria by making use of a US mail forwarding agent.

Get a US shipping agent
Buy things on Amazon