Knowledge of Customs Procedures

Firstly, when contacting freight forwarding companies, you need to understand the level of their knowledge of how Nigerian customs procedures work—how good, how skillful, or how much of a specialist they are when it comes to Nigerian customs service procedures and requirements.

Required Documentation

Secondly, you need to understand what documents this process requires. For example: the Form M, the original bill of lading, packing list, pro forma, commercial invoice, CCVO (that’s the Combined Certificate for Value and Origin).

End-to-End Freight Forwarding Knowledge

In this area, it is also important that they demonstrate knowledge of the freight forwarding process from beginning to end, which includes things like the Pre-Arrival Assessment Report (PAAR) and the type or amount of cost these will take. More importantly, the number of days it will require to fully clear the goods you are looking to transport from the seaport to the destination you’ve picked.

Awareness of Other Regulatory Agencies

Aside from all these, it is also important that they have good understanding and are cognizant with the requirements of most, if not all, agencies in Nigeria outside the Nigerian Customs Service that work closely in the transportation of goods home and abroad. These include the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and the Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON), which issue certificates usually required for specific types of imported goods.

Port Management and Terminal Knowledge

It’s also important to check their port management and terminal connection. You can try to ask open-ended questions and see what they reveal to you. If they reveal only short or limited information in this area, it tells you that these freight forwarders might not be as top-notch as expected, and you should look for people fitting your need or business need. Also, you should look out for freight forwarders well conversant with currency fluctuations in Nigeria, as this will constantly impact shipping and clearing costs.

Warehouse Ownership and Verification

You should also look out for freight forwarders who have their own warehouse, as that guarantees the best safety for your product. Even if they don’t have their own warehouse, it’s good to verify the warehouse before you close a deal with them to freight forward your goods.

Range of Services Modes

You should also look into the mode of transportation the freight forwarding company focuses on. If it’s just one out of the four—rail, water, air, and road. If it’s just two, say rail and water, and not together with road and air. If it’s just three among these four, that’s not a good option. It’s better and easier to deal with a freight forwarding company who deals with all four modes of transportation: road, rail, air, and sea.

In this article, we share more about what qualities to look out for when searching and selecting a freight forwarder.