Food cargo from Nigeria to the UK

Food is what this route carries. It is also where shipments go wrong, because UK import rules are stricter than most senders expect and almost nobody sets them out properly. So here is the list, item by item.

Can I send this?

Start typing an item — garri, suya, crayfish, yam. Verdicts come from GOV.UK guidance checked on 14 September 2026.

• Banned Suya, kilishi, any dried or cooked meat Meat and meat products are banned from outside the EU with no allowance at all.
• Banned Ponmo (cow skin) A meat product. Banned, with no allowance.
• Banned Meat pies, sausage rolls, anything meat-filled Banned as a meat product, including filled pastries and sandwiches.
• Banned Milk, yoghurt, cheese and other dairy Milk and milk-based products are banned. The only exception is infant or medical formula, up to 2kg.
• Certificate needed Fresh yam A fresh vegetable from outside the EU, so it needs a phytosanitary certificate from the Nigerian plant health authority.
• Certificate needed Fresh pepper, okra, fresh ugu and other fresh vegetables Same rule — most fresh produce needs a plant health certificate. Dried and packaged versions do not.
• Ask us first Egusi and ogbono — whole raw seeds Raw seeds are not the same as a processed product, and seeds from outside the EU can need a plant health certificate. Ask us before you pack whole seeds, and send them ground where you can.
• Within a limit Dried fish, stockfish, smoked fish Counts toward the 20kg per-person fish allowance. Processed fish that is dried, cured or smoked is explicitly covered.
• Within a limit Crayfish, prawns Also inside the 20kg per-person fish allowance.
• Within a limit Snails (igbin, congo meat) Up to 2kg per person, and they must be preserved or shelled.
• Within a limit Honey Up to 2kg per person.
• Allowed Garri Processed and packaged plant product. Keep it sealed and labelled, not loose.
• Allowed Palm oil Processed plant product. Double-seal it — leaks are the practical risk, not the legal one.
• Allowed Plantain chips Processed and packaged plant product.
• Allowed Fresh plantain and banana Named by GOV.UK as exempt from the plant health certificate requirement.
• Allowed Rice and other grains GOV.UK names "certain grains, such as rice" as allowed.
• Allowed Groundnuts, kuli kuli Peeled and processed nuts and nut butters are allowed.
• Allowed Seasoning cubes, packaged soups and spice mixes Packaged soup, stocks and flavourings are allowed from any country.
• Allowed Dried pepper, dried vegetables, dried bitter leaf and ugu Allowed once dried and packaged — they count as processed plant products.
• Allowed Chin chin, biscuits, cakes without fresh cream Allowed. Not cakes with fresh cream, and nothing filled with meat.
• Allowed Egusi and ogbono — ground and packaged Once ground and sealed in packaging these are processed and packaged plant products.

Nothing matches that. It does not mean the item is banned — it means we have not listed it yet. Ask us and we will check, then add it here.

Full rules, allowances and penalties are on what you can and cannot send.

Packing food so it survives the journey

Being allowed through customs and arriving in good condition are two different problems. These are the ones we see most:

• Dry things properly before they are packed. Anything still holding moisture will develop mould over a week in transit. This is the single biggest cause of food arriving spoiled.
• Double-bag and seal dried fish and crayfish. The smell travels, and it will get into clothing packed in the same box.
• Treat palm oil as a leak waiting to happen. Seal the lid, bag the bottle, then bag it again. A leak can ruin everything around it.
• Keep food away from clothing wherever you can. If an inspection opens one bag, you want the damage contained.
• Label what is in each bag. An inspection that can identify contents quickly is an inspection that repacks rather than confiscates.
• Send ground rather than whole where you have the choice. Ground and packaged egusi or ogbono is clearly a processed product; a sack of raw seeds is a harder conversation at the border.

What food cargo costs

Food is priced exactly like any other cargo: per kilogram, with the rate falling as the shipment gets heavier. There is no food surcharge.

Most people describe a food shipment in items rather than kilograms — two bags of garri, a carton of dried fish. That is fine. Send us the list and we will work out the weight.

See prices Send your list on WhatsApp

Why we ask what is in your boxes

Your shipment travels with other people's. That consolidation is what makes it roughly half the price of a courier, and it also means one banned item can hold up a consignment that dozens of families are waiting on.

So we ask, and occasionally we say no. It is not bureaucracy. It is the thing standing between your relative's food and a Border Force incinerator.

Common questions

Can I send Nigerian food to the UK?

Most of it, yes. Garri, palm oil, packaged egusi and ogbono, dried pepper, groundnuts, seasoning cubes and plantain are all allowed. Dried fish and crayfish are allowed up to 20kg per person. Meat and dairy are banned outright. Rules checked 14 September 2026.

How much does it cost to send food from Nigeria to the UK?

Food is priced per kilogram like any other cargo, with the rate falling as the shipment gets heavier. Message us with your item list and we will weigh it and confirm the price before anything ships.

How should I pack dried fish so it arrives well?

Dry it thoroughly first, then double-bag it and seal it. The problem in transit is almost never the fish itself — it is moisture and smell reaching everything packed around it. Keep it away from clothing.

Will my food be opened and inspected?

It can be. Border Force inspects cargo, and Nigerian authorities inspect outbound shipments. Packing food so it can be identified and resealed makes an inspection quicker and less destructive.

What happens if one person in a consolidated shipment sends something banned?

It is dealt with at the border, and in the worst case it delays the whole consignment while it is resolved. That is why we ask what is in your boxes, and why we would rather turn an item away than let it travel.

See also: the full rules · air cargo · sending a parcel · prices