Define the importer and the purchase purpose

State whether your enquiry is for a dealership, a fleet or a single business vehicle, and who will be the importer of record. Identify the vehicle category, intended use and proposed country of export. These details help the parties establish which process and supporting documents must be checked.

Use Nigeria Customs and the official trade-information portal to check the current procedure with your customs agent and relevant financial institution. Ask them to resolve classification, restrictions and applicable pre-arrival documentation before money or shipping dates are committed. This page does not publish a fixed tax rate, age limit or blanket eligibility rule.

How to compare a vehicle export quotation ↗

Compare evidence for the actual car

Ask for the identifier, dates, exact engine or powertrain, steering and equipment. Distinguish an imported second-hand vehicle from a locally used vehicle when you set the comparison basis. A model name alone does not tell you its registration history, maintenance needs or the condition of a particular unit.

Set your mileage and repair limits. Request current interior, underbody and exterior photographs, available service records and an inspection report identifying what was tested. An assurance that a vehicle is clean or accident-free needs supporting evidence. Record the questions that remain open and who will answer each one.

What to ask when checking for flood damage ↗

Normalise quotations line by line

Ask each supplier to identify the vehicle amount, sourcing or inspection charges, export documents, origin transport, freight and insurance. Add the destination items to your comparison separately: customs assessment, port and handling charges, clearance and final delivery. Confirm which amounts are quotes, which are estimates and which have not been priced.

Keep the original currency, validity date, payment stage and any exchange-rate assumptions beside every amount. A supplier’s total and a destination agent’s estimate may cover different dates and responsibilities. Avoid adding the same charge twice or assuming an omitted charge has been included.

How to compare a vehicle export quotation ↗

Agree the evidence required at each purchasing stage

Ask what vehicle and document evidence will be supplied before an order is agreed, before loading and at handover. Name the party responsible for each stage and how a mismatch will be addressed under the written terms. Confirm how you will independently verify the contracting party and payment instructions.

For mixed orders, keep a record for each vehicle rather than one description for the whole shipment. A missing identifier or inspection record can be harder to resolve after several units are combined. Availability, any shipment arrangement and the final scope require written confirmation; a website enquiry does not reserve a car.

Building a shipping condition record ↗

What to do when a point remains unverified

  1. One quote only gives a vehicle total

    Evidence to request
    An itemised scope separating the car, origin work, freight, insurance and destination items.
    Next action
    Mark missing lines as unpriced. Ask for a breakdown instead of assuming that a lower total includes the same work.

  2. The proposals use different currencies or dates

    Evidence to request
    Currency, validity, payment stage and exchange-rate assumptions alongside each figure.
    Next action
    Compare on an agreed date and basis. Keep any possible change explicit in the purchasing budget.

  3. Importer responsibilities have not been assigned

    Evidence to request
    Named contracting parties and a current document/process checklist confirmed by the appropriate agent.
    Next action
    Resolve who provides, checks and submits each item before making a shipment commitment.

  4. A condition claim has no identifier-linked report

    Evidence to request
    Current photos, an inspection scope and a report matching the VIN or chassis number.
    Next action
    Keep the claim unverified. Obtain the missing evidence and record any accepted limitations in the written agreement.

What to include in your sourcing brief

  • Business type, importer of record and intended use
  • Exact models, configurations, steering, quantities and mileage limits
  • Required inspection and history evidence
  • Destination port, final delivery and appointed customs contact
  • Budget currency and the charges it is intended to cover

The catalogue contains model references and illustrations. Actual availability, condition, eligibility and commercial terms require individual confirmation.

Model references for your brief

Use these pages to describe your requested configuration; a model reference does not certify an individual vehicle’s eligibility.

Sources and scope of this guide

This guide helps you prepare purchasing questions. It does not replace current confirmation from the authorities or your customs representative and is not an import approval.

  • Nigeria Customs Service ↗

    Confirm current restrictions, classification and customs procedures with the authority and your agent.

  • Nigeria Trade Information Portal ↗

    Official procedure and document lookup. Use the applicable current procedure for the actual goods; this guide does not reproduce tariff or eligibility figures.