Nigerian buyers of capital equipment and industrial materials assess a supplier on three things: the product, the price, and whether anyone will answer the phone in twelve months. Your route to market has to answer the third.
A local company holds stock, sells in-market and provides first-line service. The most common structure for materials and consumables, and increasingly expected for machinery.
A local agent introduces business and earns commission, with the supplier contracting directly with the end buyer. Lower commitment, but weaker after-sales presence.
Supplier sells directly to large processors with their own import capability. Works for sophisticated buyers, less so for the wider mid-market.
Even where you sell direct, appointing a local technical partner for installation and service materially improves win rates on machinery.
A longer-term option for suppliers with sustained volume, often after several years of successful export.
Some suppliers partner with established Nigerian industrial groups to combine product with local market access and credibility.
Access to foreign currency for imports is a live commercial issue for Nigerian buyers. It affects payment timing and structure far more than it does in most markets. Discuss it openly — buyers respect suppliers who understand it.
For capital equipment, confirmed letters of credit through recognised banks remain a standard mechanism. Establish your requirements early in the negotiation.
Advance, pre-shipment and on-delivery staging is normal for machinery. Be clear on what triggers each stage and what documentation accompanies it.
International suppliers generally quote in USD or EUR. Be explicit about what the price includes — ex-works, FOB, CIF or landed — because assumptions differ.
Extending open credit into a new market on the strength of a show conversation is how suppliers lose money. Take references and start with secured terms.
A buyer comparing your CIF price with a competitor's landed price is not comparing like with like. Be explicit, and help them model the true landed cost.
The 2023 edition showed Nigerian buyers concentrating on cost-effective machinery with reliable output. Underneath that headline sits a consistent second question: what happens when it breaks?
All commercial discussion, documentation and contracting is conducted in English. No interpretation is needed at the show.
Nigerian business runs on relationships and personal trust. Expect to meet more than once before a significant order is placed — the show is often the first of those meetings.
In owner-managed businesses, which is most of the sector, the owner decides. This is why the 59% owner/director/CEO visitor share matters so much.
How fast you answer the first email after the show is read as a signal about how fast you will answer when a machine is down. Follow up within a week.
Confirm specification, price basis, delivery terms and payment structure in writing. Verbal understandings drift in every market — this one included.
If you appoint a distributor, route enquiries through them consistently. Suppliers who bypass their own agent lose the agent and the market with them.
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