In this article I will give explicit information on cargo clearing in Nigeria. The article will reveal all steps importers can take to initiate cargo clearing process in Nigeria, and consequently reduce clearing costs. You can feel free to reach me on the contacts us page, should you require more information or should any step be unclear to you.

Step 1: decide on Tax Identification Number – TIN

You can either choose to import goods in your company name or in the name of another company, preferably your clearing agent. The following steps are to be taken if you want the cargo to be in your name or your own company name instead of that of the clearing agent. Otherwise, if you want to use the company owned by a clearing agent as though the agent is the owner of the import, kindly skip this entire step 1.

Approach the Corporate Affairs Commission CAC to register a company, be it an enterprise or a Ltd., or any other acceptable by law if you do not have one already. Not that if you are a tax payer with a tax identification number, you can as well import goods as a person instead of as a company.
Take your company certificate (the 3 certificates given at CAC) to any office of First Inland Revenue Services – FIRS to apply and activate yourTax Identification Number (TIN), so that you become visible on the Federal Government of Nigerian Single Window for Trade, where the clearing business documentation is done.
Use the TIN (username) and the password so created with the FIRS to login to your page on the trade window website, just to view your page and appreciate what you can do with your company .Vagmon Integrated Services can help process all things for you.
What you see from your page looks like below image.





Step 2: pre-importation documents – Form M

Form M is the first initial official document needed before shipping can be done following a standard conventional importation method in Nigeria. Documents needed to open a form M are: the Pro forma Invoice, Marine Insurance Certificate, and the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) Product Certificate or SON Import Permit (NESREA Import Permit can be used for used items). Let us look at these documents in detail.

Pro forma invoice: request the seller or manufacturer of the goods or items you want to import to issue you with a pro forma invoice. A pro forma invoice is an estimated quotation of items of import. It is issued for Customs purposes only, does not represent the actual invoice, and cannot be a demand or request for payment. We shall talk about the actual or commercial invoice as we move on. In a separate article, I will give template pro forma invoices that could be adopted.Nigerian Customs acceptable pro forma invoicemust basically contain items description, unit prices of items, total amount of items, country of origin of goods, country of supply of shipment or cargo, means of transport (air,road, or sea), estimated freight cost, seller or shipper’s(or consignor’s) address and contact detail, buyer or consignee’s address and contact detail (consignee could be you the importer or the clearing agent or someone else designated by you, depending on whose TIN is used as explained in step 1 above).
Marine or cargo insurance: There are a host of insurance companies in Nigeria. Popular ones include AIICO Insurance PLC, NEM Insurance, Zenith Insurance, etc. Simply make contact with one and request for Marine Cargo Insurance Coverage. Otherwise Vagmon Integrated Services can help you out on which insurance serves you the best.
Obtain Standard Organization of Nigeria – SON product Certification (PC). The SON PC is the SON confirmation that the products conform to Nigerian standards and technical regulations....
http://www.clearingandforwardingnigeria.com/how-to-clear-cargo-shipment-into-nigeria-at-a-reduced-fee/

Good one