Nigeria is one of the largest markets in the world for used American construction equipment, and it is one of our busiest machinery lanes. It is also a market where the rules for machinery and the rules for vehicles are genuinely different, and knowing which one applies to your cargo can save you a conformity process you never needed to go through. This guide covers what actually applies to a used machine going to Nigeria.
The SONCAP point, which saves most people money
Anyone who has imported into Nigeria knows about SONCAP, the Standards Organisation of Nigeria Conformity Assessment Programme, and most people assume it applies to everything. It does not, and the exemption is directly relevant here.
The Standards Organisation of Nigeria publishes its own exemption list, and on it, in its own words, is "Used products, other than automobiles". Food products, medicines, medicals other than equipment and machines, and chemicals used as raw materials by bona fide manufacturers are also exempt.
Read that exemption carefully, because the comma matters. Used products are exempt from the offshore SONCAP scheme. Automobiles are carved out of that exemption, so used cars are not exempt. Used machinery, on the wording, is. A great many importers go through a conformity process for a used machine because they have read the car rule and assumed it covers everything used.
Two honest caveats. SON itself notes that being exempt from the offshore scheme does not mean a product is unregulated by SON, and that sensitive or high-risk products may still require a special licence from the Director General. Separately, refurbished and re-engineered commercial articles are directed to process an Import Permit rather than relying on the exemption, so if your machine has been rebuilt rather than simply used, that is a distinction worth raising with your agent before shipping.
Nigeria also operates destination inspection rather than pre-shipment inspection, which is the opposite of the direction several of its neighbours have moved in recently. The practical effect is that the inspection burden sits at the Nigerian end rather than before your machine leaves the United States.
Form M and the import documentation chain
The Nigerian import process runs through Form M, which your importer or your agent in Nigeria opens before the goods are shipped, and which leads to the PAAR assessment report used for clearance. This is an importer-side process rather than a shipper-side one, so it is handled by your people in Nigeria rather than by us.
What we supply from this end is everything that chain needs: the commercial invoice, the bill of lading, the packing details and the machine identification including an exact serial number. Serial numbers matter more than people expect, because they appear on the US export filing and on the bill of lading, and a mismatch between the documents and the machine creates delay at a port where delay is expensive.
Make sure your Nigerian agent has opened the Form M before the vessel sails rather than after. It is the single most common cause of a machine sitting at Apapa longer than it needed to.
The ports, and which one suits your machine
- Lagos Apapa, the historic main port, and the most congested.
- Tin Can Island, also in Lagos, and the other principal container gateway.
- Onne, in Rivers State, which serves the oil and gas sector and the south east.
- Port Harcourt, serving the south east.
The choice is usually driven by where the machine is going inland rather than by any great difference in capability, but for a large out of gauge or breakbulk piece it is worth settling the discharge question before booking rather than on arrival, because handling capability is not identical across the terminals. We confirm that a terminal can discharge your piece as part of routing the shipment.
Lagos congestion is a real and well documented cost, and it is worth factoring into your planning rather than treating it as bad luck. It is also, as it happens, the reason a substantial trade in machinery and trucks for northern Nigeria routes through Lome in Togo instead, which we cover on the Lome and northern Nigeria page.
Age limits: the rule that applies depends on what you are shipping
Nigeria maintains an import prohibition list, and used motor vehicles above a certain age from year of manufacture appear on it. The figure commonly cited is fifteen years. Used compressors and used refrigerators and freezers are also reported as prohibited.
We have not found a corresponding age cap on used industrial and construction machinery, which is consistent with the general pattern across the region, where governments restrict used vehicles to manage the national fleet while remaining considerably more open to machinery that serves industry.
Confirm this before you bid rather than after. Import prohibition lists are amended, and the figure that was current last year may not be current this year. Ask your licensed customs agent in Nigeria to confirm both the vehicle age rule and whether anything applies to your specific machine class, and ask us as well, because we track what we see on this lane.
How we get the machine there
Most machines going to Nigeria from us travel in containers, including a good many that other companies would put on a flat rack. The reason is simply that we dismantle machines ourselves, principally at our Baltimore facility, so containerizing is an option we can actually offer rather than a theoretical one.
- Backhoe loaders go into a container with the cab off, the bucket off and the arm off where length requires it.
- Wheel loaders in the Caterpillar 950 class dismantle into a 40ft high cube.
- Large excavators can be split across containers. We have shipped a Hitachi EX300, around the 30 tonne class, as one 40ft high cube plus one 20ft, with the track side frames removed.
- Mini excavators and skid steers go in as they stand, often two to a box.
Because a container moves cheaper than a flat rack, that work frequently pays for itself several times over, and the machine arrives enclosed rather than exposed on an open platform for the whole voyage, which on a lane with Nigeria's pilferage history is worth something on its own.
Been quoted a flat rack for Nigeria?
Send us the model and we will price the container option alongside it so you can compare.
Get a QuoteWhere a machine genuinely cannot be containerized, we ship it flat rack, breakbulk or roll-on roll-off and say so plainly rather than pretending otherwise. The full method comparison is in our guide to what it costs to ship heavy equipment.
Preparation and the US side
- Cleaning. Earth-moving machinery carrying soil and plant residue is a problem on many lanes. Steam cleaning before loading is inexpensive insurance and we arrange it where the destination calls for it.
- Fluids and batteries. Fuel, hydraulic fluid and batteries are governed by different rules depending on whether the machine travels in a container, as breakbulk or by roll-on roll-off, with the carrier adding its own conditions. We prepare to the booked route.
- The export filing. We submit it through the Automated Export System. You supply the bill of sale or auction invoice, proof of ownership and the exact serial number.
- Collection. We collect nationwide, including from Ritchie Bros., IronPlanet and Purple Wave sites. Most yards will not load a machine that can reasonably be driven, and they require a bill of lading for anything going to a foreign country, which we issue as the ocean carrier.
Duty, clearance and delivery at the Nigerian end are handled by your own licensed customs agent, and we supply the documents they need. We do not quote Nigerian duty, because it is set by the Nigerian government and assessed against their valuation database rather than against our invoice.
Nigeria equipment questions
Does used machinery need SONCAP certification for Nigeria?
The Standards Organisation of Nigeria publishes an exemption list which includes, in its own wording, "Used products, other than automobiles". On that wording used machinery falls under the exemption while used cars do not. SON does note that exemption from the offshore scheme does not mean a product is unregulated by SON, so confirm your specific machine with your agent or with Cotecna before shipping.
Why do used cars need SONCAP but used machinery does not?
Because automobiles are specifically carved out of the used-products exemption. It is a single phrase in the exemption list and it catches a lot of people out, because they read the rule for vehicles and assume it covers everything second-hand. The two cargoes follow different rules into Nigeria.
My machine has been rebuilt. Does the exemption still apply?
Possibly not in the same way. SON directs that refurbished and re-engineered commercial articles process an Import Permit rather than relying on the used-goods exemption. If your machine has been rebuilt rather than simply used, raise that distinction with your agent before shipping rather than after it arrives.
Does Nigeria inspect before shipment or on arrival?
Nigeria operates destination inspection rather than pre-shipment inspection, which means the inspection burden sits at the Nigerian end. This is the opposite direction from some of its neighbours, who have been moving toward pre-shipment certificates, so do not assume a regional rule applies.
Who opens the Form M, me or you?
Your importer or your agent in Nigeria opens it, before the goods ship, and it leads to the PAAR assessment used for clearance. It is an importer-side process. We supply everything the chain needs from this end: the commercial invoice, the bill of lading, packing details and exact machine identification.
What happens if the Form M is not opened before the vessel sails?
Your machine waits. It is the single most common reason cargo sits at Apapa longer than it had to, and it is entirely avoidable. Make sure your Nigerian agent has the Form M open before sailing rather than treating it as an arrival formality.
How exact do serial numbers need to be?
Exact. They appear on the US export filing and on the bill of lading, and any mismatch between the paperwork and the machine creates delay at a port where delay is expensive. Send us the serial from the machine plate rather than from the auction listing where you can.
Is there an age limit on importing used machinery into Nigeria?
We have not found an age cap on used industrial and construction machinery, which fits the regional pattern of restricting used vehicles while staying open to machinery that serves industry. Used motor vehicles are different and do face an age restriction. Confirm the current position with a licensed customs agent in Nigeria before you bid, because prohibition lists are amended.
What is the age limit on used vehicles into Nigeria?
Nigeria maintains an import prohibition list on which used motor vehicles above a certain age from year of manufacture appear, and the figure commonly cited is fifteen years. Because this is the kind of rule that changes, treat any figure you read online, including this one, as something to verify rather than rely on.
Are any used machines banned outright?
Used compressors and used refrigerators and freezers are reported as prohibited. We have not seen a general prohibition on used construction or agricultural machinery. If you are buying something unusual, ask us before you bid and we will tell you what we know about that class on this lane.
Which Nigerian port should my machine go to?
Usually whichever suits the inland destination. Lagos Apapa and Tin Can Island are the main gateways, Onne serves the oil and gas sector and the south east, and Port Harcourt serves the south east. For a large out of gauge or breakbulk piece the question becomes which terminal can discharge it, which we confirm before booking.
Is Lagos congestion as bad as people say?
It is a real and well documented cost rather than an occasional inconvenience, and it is worth building into your planning. It is also the reason a substantial trade in machinery and trucks for northern Nigeria routes through Lome in Togo instead, which may or may not suit your situation depending on where the machine is going.
Should I route through Lome instead of Lagos?
It depends entirely on where the machine is going. For the north it can make real sense, and for the south it usually does not. We cover the trade-offs properly on our Lome page, and we can quote both so you can compare rather than guess.
Will my excavator fit in a container for Nigeria?
More often than you have probably been told. Mini excavators go in as they stand. Mid-sized machines go in dismantled. We have shipped a Hitachi EX300, around 30 tonnes, as one 40ft high cube plus one 20ft with the track side frames off. Send us the model and we will check it properly.
Why do you recommend a container over a flat rack for Nigeria?
Two reasons. A container moves cheaper than a flat rack, so the dismantling usually pays for itself. And the machine travels enclosed rather than exposed on an open platform for the whole voyage, which on this lane is worth something on its own.
Can you ship a machine that does not run?
Yes, though it costs more to handle at both ends, because it has to be winched or lifted rather than driven. It also rules out roll-on roll-off. Tell us at quoting stage rather than on collection day, because it genuinely changes the number.
Can you collect from a US machinery auction?
Yes, anywhere in the USA, including Ritchie Bros., IronPlanet and Purple Wave sites. Note that most yards will not load a machine that can reasonably be driven, and that equipment going to a foreign country needs a bill of lading at the gate, which we issue as the ocean carrier.
Do you quote Nigerian duty?
No, and be cautious of anyone who does. Duty is set by the Nigerian government and assessed against their own valuation database rather than against our invoice. Your licensed customs agent in Nigeria handles duty, clearance and delivery, and we supply the documents they need.
How long does the shipment take?
The ocean leg depends on the service and the load port, and we give you a concrete timeline with the quote rather than a generic range. What varies more is the clearance at the far end, which is why having the Form M open before sailing matters so much.
Are you a broker or the carrier?
We are the carrier. Cassandra Logistics is a federally licensed Ocean Transportation Intermediary under FMC license OTI No. 025125NF, legally Royal Port Container Lines, Inc. DBA Cassandra Logistics. The license is public and verifiable with the Federal Maritime Commission.
Import rules change. The customs information on this page comes from official government sources and was accurate when published, but duties, age limits, inspection regimes and eligibility requirements are set by the destination country and can change without notice. Cassandra Logistics is a licensed ocean carrier, not a customs authority or a legal adviser. We are not responsible for changes to foreign import law, or for decisions made by customs at destination. Always confirm current requirements with a licensed customs agent in the destination country before you buy a machine.