Import From Turkey to Nigeria: Textiles, Furniture, Building Goods

You run a furniture showroom in Lekki, a building materials shop in Onitsha, or a fabric store in Kano, and your customers keep asking for "Turkish" quality. They mean sofas with solid frames, curtain fabric that does not fade, ceramic tiles with consistent shades, door sets and kitchen fittings that look as good in the showroom as in the photograph. You want to bring in your own containers instead of buying from the third or fourth hand in the chain.

The difficulty is that Turkey is a large manufacturing country with very different clusters, and a small mistake is expensive when it arrives at Apapa or Tin Can. A sofa made to a European sizing standard may not fit your market. Tiles from two production batches may not match. A supplier who looked professional on a video call may disappear after a deposit.

This guide explains how to import from Turkey to Nigeria in a practical order: what Turkey is known for, how to find and check a supplier, how to agree an order, how to ship and clear, and how to protect your money. It is written for shop owners, wholesalers and contractors, and it is useful whether or not you ever use Comilmart.

What Turkey does well, and who makes it

Turkish industry is regional. Knowing where products come from helps you search and also helps you spot a trader pretending to be a factory.

Textiles and home fabrics. Bursa and Denizli are widely associated with towels, bedding and home textiles. Istanbul and Gaziantep are known for fabrics, carpets and rugs. Curtain fabric, upholstery fabric, bed linen and ready-made garments are all common export lines.
Furniture. Kayseri, Bursa (Inegol) and Istanbul have large furniture manufacturing areas covering sofas, bedroom sets, dining sets, office furniture and kitchen cabinets.
Building goods. Ceramic and porcelain tiles, sanitaryware, taps and fittings, doors, aluminium and PVC window profiles, marble and natural stone, paints and some steel products are all made in volume.

Nigerian buyers tend to look at Turkey for three reasons: design that suits upmarket homes and offices, a wide range of finishes, and the ability to buy mixed products from one region. None of that means every Turkish supplier is good. It means you have plenty of choice, which makes checking more important.

Decide exactly what you are buying

Before you contact anyone, write a one-page specification for each product. Vague requests such as "good quality sofa" produce vague quotations that cannot be compared.

For furniture, note the dimensions, frame material, foam density or filling, fabric type, colour reference, leg or base finish and whether it ships assembled or knocked down. Ask about the packing method too. Flat-pack saves container space; assembled items cost more to ship but may reach you in better order.

For textiles, note composition, weight, width, finish, colour fastness and whether you want rolls, cut lengths or finished products. Ask for a swatch book.

For tiles and building goods, note size, thickness, surface finish, grade, shade or batch code, and the standard the goods are made to. Ask whether the order will come from a single production batch, because shade differences between batches are a classic cause of disputes.

A short specification also lets you test the supplier. A genuine manufacturer will answer technical questions in detail. A trader with no access to the factory often cannot.

Find and check Turkish suppliers

You can find suppliers through trade fairs in Istanbul, introductions from other importers, direct factory searches and online marketplaces. On Comilmart you can browse suppliers by category, and Verified badges are shown after a review of company details, registration number, tax or VAT number, business licence, certificates, logo and sample product photos. A badge is a useful starting signal, not a substitute for your own questions. What is listed depends on which suppliers have joined.

Whatever route you use, run the same checks:

Ask for company registration details and confirm the company name matches the invoice and bank account name.
Ask whether they manufacture or trade. Both can be legitimate, but you should know who you are dealing with.
Request photos and video of the factory floor and warehouse, ideally on a live video call where you can ask them to point the camera at something specific.
Ask for references from export customers in other countries, and request certificates relevant to your products.
Compare the bank account name to the company name before paying anything. Mismatches are a warning sign.
Search the company name with words such as "complaint" or "fraud", and ask other importers in your market.

If you do not yet have a supplier, you can post a sourcing request at RFQ sourcing, describing what you want and in what quantity, and receive quotations to compare.

Samples first, then a trial order

Never place a container order based on photos alone. The sequence that protects you is simple:

Request a sample of each product, and pay for it. Free samples sometimes come with weak commitment.
Test the sample properly. Sit on the sofa, wash the fabric, drop a tile, open and close the door set a hundred times.
Keep the approved sample sealed and labelled. It becomes the reference standard in your purchase agreement.
Place a smaller trial order if the supplier accepts one, even at a slightly higher unit cost.
Increase quantity only after the trial arrives and matches the sample.

If the supplier will not send a sample or insists you commit to a full order first, treat that as information.

Agree terms in a written purchase agreement

A good purchase agreement does not need to be long, but it should be specific. Include:

Full product description and the approved sample reference.
Quantity, unit price and currency, with any volume tiers confirmed.
The Incoterm and named place (see below).
Packing, labelling and marking instructions, including your shipping marks.
Production lead time and the date by which goods must be ready.
Payment schedule and the bank account to be used.
Inspection rights, and what happens if goods do not match the sample.
Who pays for rework, replacement or refund if there is a defect.

Many importers skip the quality clause and regret it later. Say plainly that goods must match the approved sample and specification, and that you may inspect before final payment.

Incoterms in plain language

An Incoterm says who pays for and takes risk for each part of the journey.

Term	What it means in practice
EXW	You collect from the factory door and arrange everything from there. Most work for you.
FOB	The supplier loads the goods on the ship at the Turkish port. You pay the sea freight.
CIF	The supplier pays freight and insurance to a Nigerian port, but risk passes earlier, at loading.
DAP/DDP	The supplier delivers further. DDP is rarely wise for Nigeria because duty responsibility is complicated.

Many Nigerian buyers prefer FOB because it lets them choose a freight forwarder and compare shipping costs. That requires more knowledge, so beginners sometimes start with CIF and learn the process before moving to FOB. Whichever you choose, write it with the place name, for example "FOB Mersin" or "CIF Lagos", and confirm Incoterms current versions with your forwarder.

Payment: protect the deposit

Payment is where most losses occur. The usual structure is a deposit before production and the balance before shipment or against shipping documents. Neither side is fully comfortable, so use methods that give you evidence and some control.

Pay only into a company account whose name matches the supplier.
Avoid paying large sums to personal accounts or through payment links sent by chat.
Keep every proof of payment and every message about the order.
Consider protected payment so funds are released only when agreed conditions are met.

On Comilmart, the Trade Assurance page and the buyer protection information explain how protected payment is meant to work in general terms. Read them before ordering and check how they apply to your particular transaction. If you buy off-platform, ask your bank about documentary collection or a letter of credit for larger orders, since those place the bank between you and the supplier.

Ship from Turkey to Lagos

Most containerised goods go by sea from Turkish ports such as Mersin, Istanbul-area ports or Izmir to Lagos ports like Apapa, Tin Can or Lekki. Air freight is used for samples and urgent, lightweight, high-value items.

Key shipping decisions:

FCL or LCL. A full container (FCL) is simpler and usually safer for furniture and tiles. Part loads (LCL) suit smaller orders but add handling and more risk of damage or delay.
Packing. Furniture needs corner protection, wrapping and bracing. Tiles need strong cartons, pallets and shrink-wrap. Heavy cargo needs sensible weight distribution in the container.
Marking. Mark cartons with your name, product code and carton number, matching the packing list.
Insurance. Cargo insurance is cheap compared with the cost of a damaged container. Ask your forwarder.

Comilmart offers a landed-cost calculator and shipping rate tools, and ComilExpress is its own logistics service, which can help you estimate total cost before you commit. They are planning aids, so confirm a final quotation with your forwarder.

Clearing in Nigeria, step by step

Import clearing in Nigeria involves several stages, and the details change. At the stable, well-known level, you should expect to deal with:

A Form M, which is the import application you or your agent raise through your bank before shipment for most commercial imports.
A PAAR (Pre-Arrival Assessment Report), which is part of the customs assessment process before the goods arrive.
The supplier's commercial invoice, packing list and bill of lading, which must agree with each other and with the Form M.
Product-specific approvals where relevant, for example for food, cosmetics or electrical items, which fall under bodies such as NAFDAC or SON. Furniture, textiles and tiles may be affected differently, so ask.
Port procedures, terminal charges and possible inspection.

Appoint a licensed clearing agent early, ideally before you place the order, and ask them to review the product list and the Form M requirements. Never leave documents to the last week. A mismatch between invoice and Form M causes delay and cost.

Important: import rules, duties, fees and approved procedures change. Always confirm current requirements with a licensed clearing agent or customs broker, or with the relevant Nigerian authority, before you order.

Putting it together

A worked example in words

Imagine a building materials dealer in Onitsha who wants to add Turkish porcelain tiles and door sets. She writes a specification, posts a sourcing request, and receives several quotations. She shortlists three, checks their registration details and bank account names, and asks for samples of the tiles and one door set.

After testing, she picks one supplier, agrees a purchase agreement that requires a single production batch for the tiles and sample-matched finishes for the doors, and uses FOB terms. Her clearing agent reviews the paperwork and starts the Form M process. She pays a deposit into the company account, has a third-party inspector check the goods before loading, and pays the balance once the inspection report and bill of lading draft are clean.

The goods arrive, are cleared, and are delivered to her warehouse. She sells the first trial container, notes where the process was slow, and orders again with better knowledge.

Your first week: a short checklist

Write a specification for one or two products only.
Create a free buyer account and post a sourcing request.
Speak to a licensed clearing agent about Form M and PAAR for your goods.
Shortlist three suppliers and run the checks above.
Order paid samples and decide how you will test them.
Draft a one-page purchase agreement using the list above.

Frequently asked questions

Is it cheaper to import from Turkey than to buy in Lagos? Sometimes, but not always. Compare the landed cost, which includes goods, freight, insurance, duty, clearing and delivery, against the local wholesale price. A calculator helps, but confirm with your agent.

What is the minimum order for Turkish furniture or tiles? It varies by supplier and product. Many manufacturers sell by the container, while some traders sell smaller quantities. Ask each supplier for its minimum order quantity (MOQ) and tier prices.

Do I need a clearing agent to import from Turkey to Nigeria? In practice, yes for most commercial imports. A licensed agent handles documentation and port procedures. Confirm current rules with them.

How do I avoid being scammed by a Turkish supplier? Verify the company, match bank account names to the company, order samples, put terms in writing and use protected payment where possible.

Can I mix textiles, furniture and building goods in one container? It is possible through a consolidator or a mixed FCL, but it adds paperwork and risk. For a first order, keep it simple.

Next step

If you want to import from Turkey to Nigeria with less guesswork, create a free buyer account, browse suppliers by category, or post a sourcing request and compare quotations. Read the Trade Assurance page before you pay, and confirm every duty, fee and document requirement with a licensed clearing agent.