Export News & Compliance Guide — NaijaSwap

🛣 The NaijaSwap Buyer Journey

Buyer

International buyer registers interest

Product Requirements

Specs, quantity, origin, certification

Export Compliance

NEPC, Customs, permits, licenses

Shipping / DG

Dangerous goods, UN1361, line acceptance

Documentation

BL, COA, phytosanitary, packing list

Container Procedure

Gate-in, inspection, sealing, loading

Port / Terminal

Storage, free time, demurrage risk

Shipment Tracking

Vessel departure, ETA, delivery

📣 Regulatory Intelligence Alerts

News Alert 001

Nigerian Charcoal Exports Face Regulatory and Shipping Restrictions

🔴 High Priority Charcoal Aug 2026

Status: Verified — restrictions and shipping complications confirmed; current nationwide ban requires further official confirmation.

Nigeria's charcoal-export sector is facing significant regulatory and shipping challenges. Historical Nigeria Customs directives led major shipping companies to suspend or refuse new charcoal bookings. More recently, charcoal has also been subject to stricter dangerous-goods shipping requirements because of its potential to self-heat and cause fire during maritime transportation.

A particularly relevant case involved 35 charcoal export containers at Lekki Free Trade Terminal, where exporters disputed substantial storage charges. The Nigerian Shippers' Council subsequently reviewed the matter with the terminal and CMA CGM.

What this means for NaijaSwap exporters — before accepting a charcoal export order, sellers should verify:

Current Nigeria Customs export authorization
Forestry / environmental permits where applicable
Shipping-line acceptance of charcoal
Dangerous-goods classification and documentation
UN1361 / Class 4.2 requirements where applicable
Container and cargo compliance
Terminal acceptance
Export documentation completeness
Current shipping-line booking confirmation

⚠ Business Warning: Do not advise a seller to load a container simply because a foreign buyer has issued a purchase order. The exporter should first confirm that the specific shipping line and terminal will accept the charcoal shipment under the applicable DG requirements.

Category: Charcoal / Export Regulation / Shipping Source: Nigeria Customs, CMA CGM, Nigerian Shippers' Council

News Alert 002

Charcoal Containers Can Accumulate Significant Port Storage Costs

🔴 High Priority Port / Logistics Aug 2026

The 2025 Lekki case involving 35 charcoal containers demonstrates the financial risk of containers remaining at terminals while regulatory, documentation or shipping issues are resolved.

The Nigerian Shippers' Council reported that the affected containers were valued at more than ₦70 million, and the dispute involved storage charges of ₦30,240 per container per day.

📝 NaijaSwap Recommendation: For every charcoal shipment, your CRM should eventually track: Buyer → Seller → Product → Quantity → Container number → Terminal → Shipping line → DG status → Customs status → Permit status → Booking status → Gate-in date → Free-storage expiry → Current status. That makes your NaijaSwap database much more useful than simply keeping buyer names and telephone numbers.

Category: Port / Logistics / Charcoal Source: Nigerian Shippers' Council, Lekki Free Trade Terminal

News Alert 003

Nigerian Agricultural Exports Continue Strong Growth

🟢 Positive Agriculture Aug 2026

Nigeria Customs reported that ₦767.2 billion ($568.27 million) worth of agricultural products were exported through the Lilypond Export Command between October and December 2025.

Products included: cashew, sesame, hibiscus, cocoa, ginger, soybeans, charcoal, processed wood, rubber and groundnuts.

🏆 Strategic Insight: This supports NaijaSwap's wider agricultural-export strategy. Instead of making charcoal the only export opportunity, the marketplace can connect Nigerian suppliers with European buyers for a diversified portfolio of commodities.

Category: Agricultural Exports / Trade Data Source: Nigeria Customs, Lilypond Export Command, New Telegraph

✅ Pre-Shipment Compliance Checklist

🇺🇳 Nigeria Customs

Valid export authorization for the specific commodity
Harmonized System (HS) code classification
Single Goods Declaration (SGD) filed
Customs release and exit note obtained

Tip: Charcoal may require additional scrutiny — confirm current directive status before booking.

🌳 Forestry & Environment

Forestry permit (where applicable for wood/charcoal)
Environmental Impact Assessment (if required)
Sustainable sourcing documentation
State ministry of environment clearance

Tip: Some states have additional restrictions on charcoal production.

🚢 Shipping & DG

Shipping line acceptance letter for charcoal
Dangerous Goods declaration (if Class 4.2)
UN1361 classification and packaging compliance
Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS)
Temperature monitoring plan for self-heating risk

Tip: Not all lines accept charcoal. Confirm before container gate-in.

📄 Export Documentation

Commercial invoice and packing list
Certificate of Origin (NEPC or Chamber of Commerce)
Phytosanitary certificate (for agricultural products)
Quality / inspection certificate (SGS, Bureau Veritas)
Bill of Lading (or Sea Waybill)

Tip: European buyers often require SGS or equivalent pre-shipment inspection.

📦 Container & Terminal

Container suitability (ventilated for charcoal if required)
Terminal acceptance confirmation
Gate-in appointment scheduled
Free storage period confirmed in writing
Demurrage / detention rate schedule reviewed

Tip: Lekki case shows storage can cost ₦30,240/day per container. Track free time.

🌎 Buyer-Side Requirements

Import license (buyer country)
EU TRACES registration (for agri-food into Europe)
Charcoal import permit (if buyer country restricts)
Letter of Credit or escrow terms agreed
Incoterms 2020 agreed (FOB, CIF, DAP, etc.)

Tip: NaijaSwap escrow protects both parties when terms are documented.

🗃 Recommended Repository Structure

Repository / Category	Purpose	Key Data Fields
01 — Verified Buyers	European and international buyers with confirmed purchase history or LOI	Company, country, product interest, volume, Incoterm preference, payment terms
02 — Nigerian Sellers & Exporters	Verified Nigerian suppliers with export registration and product specialization	Company, NEPC reg, verification tier, products, capacity, port preference, DG capability
03 — Shipment Tracker	Live status of every container from booking to delivery	Container no, line, terminal, gate-in, customs status, DG status, BL no, ETA, current location
04 — Regulatory Intelligence	News alerts, customs directives, shipping-line policy changes, DG updates	Alert ID, date, category, priority, source, status, action required
05 — Documentation Vault	Templates and copies of required export documents per commodity	Doc type, commodity, destination country, template, expiry, issuing authority

Export News, Compliance & Shipping Guide