U.S. Food Export to Nigeria

Chihade International supplies American food products to registered importers and distributors in Nigeria, shipped from our SQF-certified facility in Georgia. We are looking for a distributor partner in Nigeria.

Why Nigeria

Nigeria is a large, fast-changing market where the U.S. is barely present. U.S. agricultural exports were $315 million in 2024, up 35%, but consumer-oriented product was only around $69 million — roughly 4% of a $1.7 billion consumer food import market.

Two things changed recently that materially improve the picture. Effective 1 April 2026, Nigeria’s revised import prohibition list dropped many categories: live poultry, some beef, pork, edible oil, cocoa products, pasta, fruit juice and beer are no longer prohibited. Separately, the foreign-exchange restrictions on food imports that constrained the market for years — the so-called “43 items” — were lifted by the Central Bank in October 2023. A good deal of published guidance still describes both as in force. It is not.

Retail remains largely informal: open-air markets account for 73% of food retail sales, small grocery and convenience 25%, and supermarkets just 2%. Quick-service restaurants are growing at around 25% a year.

What We Do From the U.S.

We are a U.S. exporter. We do not operate warehouses or distribution in Nigeria — that is what our distributor partners do. Our job is everything on the American side of the shipment:

• Sourcing from more than 300 U.S. manufacturers, to your specification
• Consolidating mixed loads into full containers, so you are not forced into single-supplier minimums
• Dry, chilled and frozen storage in our 64,000 sq. ft. SQF-certified facility in Lawrenceville, Georgia
• English-language labelling, stickering and ink-jet date coding applied before goods leave the U.S.
• Export documentation — USDA and health certificates, halal certification where required, certificates of origin
• Ocean and air freight on contracted U.S. lanes, with expedited air for urgent replenishment

Import Requirements We Prepare For

NAFDAC — the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control — is the lead agency for registering and regulating processed food, with the Standards Organisation of Nigeria setting standards.

Product registration is the single biggest planning item, and it is demanding. A manufacturer outside Nigeria must be represented by a registered Nigerian company with the facilities to implement a product recall. Registration requires 15 product samples (20 for dairy), laboratory analysis taking four to eight weeks, and nominally three months overall — though USDA notes it can run to a year or more in practice. Registration is valid for five years.

That requirement is exactly why we are looking for a distributor partner rather than an agent: the registration and recall capability sit with your business, and we supply against them.

Labels must be in English and may carry additional languages. Some categories remain prohibited — processed poultry cuts, refined cocoa butter and powder, tomato paste and refined vegetable oils in retail packs among them — so we confirm eligibility per product before quoting.

Apapa and Tin Can Island in Lagos are the main container ports, with Lekki Deep Sea Port now handling substantial volume. Murtala Muhammed International in Lagos is the air gateway. Port congestion is a genuine planning factor.

What We Look For in a Distributor Partner

We are deliberately selective, because these relationships tend to last decades rather than seasons. We are typically looking for:

• An established importer of record, with the licences and clearance experience the market requires
• Real coverage of at least one channel — modern retail, wholesale, foodservice distribution, or franchise supply
• Temperature-controlled storage and distribution appropriate to the categories you want to carry
• A sales team that can place and support a new brand rather than simply warehousing it
• An interest in a long-term programme, including exclusive lines where it makes sense for both sides

If that is a reasonable description of your business, we would like to talk.

See all markets we serve →

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you have a warehouse or office in Nigeria?

No. Chihade International is a U.S. exporter based in Lawrenceville, Georgia, and we ship from there. We do not hold stock inside Nigeria. Local importing, clearance, storage and distribution are handled by our distributor partners — which is precisely the role we are looking to fill.

Do we have to order a full container of a single product?

No. Consolidation is one of the main reasons distributors work with us. We combine products from multiple U.S. manufacturers into one container, so you can carry a broad range without committing to full-truckload minimums from each supplier.

Can we get exclusive rights to a brand in our market?

In many cases, yes. Chihade International is the exclusive distributor of Country Sun, our own brand of American cheeses, mayonnaise, frying oils, cheese sauce and breakfast meats. Where it makes commercial sense on both sides, we grant exclusive Country Sun distribution rights by territory — a line your competitors cannot stock. See the range at countrysunfoods.com.

Aren’t most food imports banned in Nigeria?

Not any more, and this is the most out-of-date claim in circulation about this market. From 1 April 2026 the revised prohibition list dropped many categories including some beef, pork, edible oil, cocoa products, pasta, fruit juice and beer. A narrower set remains prohibited, so we check each product against the current list rather than working from older guidance.

Can Nigerian importers still not access foreign exchange for food?

That restriction — the “43 items” — was lifted by the Central Bank of Nigeria in October 2023. Some published guidance still describes it as in force; it is not.

Who holds the NAFDAC registration?

A registered Nigerian company with recall capability must represent the foreign manufacturer, and the registration sits with that business. It takes 15 samples, four to eight weeks of laboratory analysis and often considerably longer in practice, so it is worth starting early — and it is the clearest reason a properly established local partner matters here.

How We Work With Partners in Nigeria

Whichever channel you operate in, the U.S. side of the shipment is the same: sourcing, consolidation, preparation and documentation from our SQF-certified facility in Lawrenceville, Georgia.

• Franchise export — supplying U.S. franchise brands at their locations in Nigeria.
• Distributor partnerships — for importers and foodservice distributors carrying American lines.
• Retail and supermarket consolidation — an American grocery range without single-supplier minimums.
• Export warehousing and 3PL — dry, chilled and frozen under one roof in Georgia.
• All export services — the full picture of what we handle before a container sails.
• Beef and protein export — U.S. beef, poultry and seafood, including halal programmes, with plant eligibility confirmed for each market.

Useful reading: Halal certification: what actually matters  ·  Export documentation, in plain English  ·  How to become a distributor partner  · How franchise export works ·  all export guides

Become Our Distributor Partner in Nigeria

Tell us about your market coverage and the products you are looking for, and we will be in touch about a distribution program.