How to sell imported goods online in Nigeria

Sell imported goods online in Nigeria: real Jumia and Konga commissions, payout terms, returns, delivery costs, and what TikTok Shop does not do here.

Selling imported goods online in Nigeria looks simple:

Post product → customer orders → dispatch → get paid.

The real version is:

platform fee + delivery + failed orders + returns + advertising + payment risk.

Online is a serious sales channel, especially for a first-time importer who does not want the cost of a physical shop.

But it is still a channel, not a replacement for Nigeria's wholesale markets and distributor networks.

The important question is not:

“Which platform has the most users?”

It is:

“After all the deductions and failed deliveries, which platform leaves enough margin on my product?”

Jumia: the full marketplace route #

Jumia gives you:

traffic + checkout + logistics options + seller tools + customer trust.

Registration is free.

Jumia says initial registration takes only a few minutes, while verification normally takes around 2–3 business days before you begin selling. (vendorhub.jumia.com.ng)

What do you need to sell on Jumia? #

For an individual, Jumia currently asks for:

National ID + bank account details + stamped bank reference or one-day statement showing the NUBAN.

For a registered company, the KYC requirements include:

National ID + CAC documents + TIN + company bank account + bank reference/statement. (vendorhub.jumia.com.ng)

So if you are already importing commercially under a registered Nigerian business, use the business account.

Keep the name consistent across:

CAC → bank → Jumia store.

How much does Jumia take? #

Do not price your product using an old blog post.

Jumia publishes separate 2026 commission and shipping-contribution pages in its Vendor Hub, and rates depend on the product category. (vendorhub.jumia.com.ng)

Its current commission example for a phone shows a 6% base commission, presented as about 6.5% after VAT. (vendorhub.jumia.com.ng)

Jumia can also deduct a shipping cost contribution, which varies by:

category + item size + fulfilment method.

Its 2026 fee page gives an example of a large air-conditioner attracting a ₦4,300 Jumia Express shipping contribution. (vendorhub.jumia.com.ng)

So before listing, calculate:

Selling price
− Jumia commission
− shipping contribution
− advertising/promotion
− expected returns
= what is actually left.

That is the number that matters.

Jumia pays sellers weekly #

Jumia says seller payments are normally processed on a weekly payout cycle to the approved registered bank account. (vendorhub.jumia.com.ng)

That means a Jumia sale is not the same as cash in your hand today.

If your working capital is tight, include payout timing when deciding how much stock to put on the platform.

Returns are where Jumia sellers need discipline #

Jumia's return process deserves more attention than most new sellers give it.

Customers can return qualifying products for several reasons, including defects, wrong products and permitted change-of-mind returns.

For a seller disputing a damaged or wrongly attributed return, Jumia says the claim must generally be raised within two business days of the returned product, with supporting photos or video.

Valid claims are refunded within around 7–14 working days. (vendorhub.jumia.com.ng)

So photograph products before dispatch.

Especially:

phones, electronics, fashion items, appliances and anything expensive.

Once the return arrives, inspect it immediately.

Do not leave returned stock sitting at a collection centre.

Fake products can become an expensive Jumia mistake #

If you are importing branded goods, keep your authenticity paperwork.

Jumia currently says a counterfeit listing can attract product removal and a ₦70,000 penalty if the seller cannot provide proof of authenticity within the stated period; repeated violations can lead to permanent delisting. (vendorhub.jumia.com.ng)

So do not buy:

“original copy”

from China and list it as:

“original.”

There is no useful business distinction between:

high copy

and:

counterfeit

when you are using another company's brand without authority.

Read counterfeit goods from China before importing branded stock.

Jumia competition now includes overseas sellers #

This matters more in 2026.

Jumia reported that Nigeria's physical-goods GMV grew 42% year on year in Q1 2026, while items sold by international sellers across the group rose 87%, driven partly by expansion of its Chinese seller base. (investor.jumia.com)

For a Nigerian importer, that means you are not only competing against:

another shop in Lagos.

You may also be competing against international sellers sourcing from the same country you import from.

Your advantage therefore has to be more than:

“I also sell this item.”

It can be:

faster delivery + stock already in Nigeria + warranty + trust + easier returns + local support.

Konga: easier to calculate before you list #

Konga is useful because its current SellerHQ publishes the commission schedule openly.

The rate depends on:

category + seller tier + fulfilment arrangement.

For merchant-fulfilled orders, Konga's current table shows examples such as:

Mobile phones: 2.9% Classic Plus, 4.3% Classic, 5.8% Special.

Home & Kitchen: 6%, 8%, 10.5%.

Beauty, Health & Personal Care: 8.5%, 12%, 16%.

Fashion: 12%, 15%, 20%. (shq.konga.com)

These figures can change.

Check SellerHQ again when you are pricing.

The important thing is that a fashion seller paying 20% cannot use the same margin calculation as a phone seller paying 5.8%.

Konga gives the seller more control #

Konga says sellers can choose:

their listing price

whether to accept Pay on Delivery

their return policy

and:

their delivery method. (shq.konga.com)

That flexibility is useful.

It also means you need to understand the costs you are choosing.

Konga's Merchant Service Agreement says payments are remitted after successful delivery and the applicable return period, minus commission and applicable charges. (konga.com)

So again:

sale does not automatically mean immediate cash.

Jiji is different #

Jiji is not the same type of platform as Jumia or Konga.

Think of it more as:

classified advertising + customer enquiry.

You advertise.

The buyer contacts you.

You negotiate the sale.

Jiji allows free advertising up to category-specific limits, after which sellers may need premium packages or free up an existing slot. (jiji.ng)

Its paid services include:

Boost Plans

and:

Top Ads.

Jiji's billing policy says premium-service fees are generally non-refundable once used, and it does not guarantee that purchasing promotion will produce a particular result. (jiji.ng)

That makes Jiji useful for products where customers like to:

call

negotiate

inspect

or:

compare sellers directly.

For example:

phones,

electronics,

furniture,

machinery,

vehicles,

and other higher-consideration products.

Temu is competition first #

Temu sells directly to Nigerian shoppers.

Its Nigerian consumer site accepts local Nigerian registration, and products can be ordered for delivery into Nigeria. (temu.com)

Temu also operates a global Seller Center.

But as of September 2026, I could not verify from Temu's public seller documentation that a Nigeria-registered local seller has a clearly supported Nigerian seller programme.

Its public seller onboarding still depends on the country in which the seller or business is registered. (seller.temu.com)

So unless Nigeria is offered to you during actual seller onboarding, treat Temu primarily as:

competition.

That matters because the Nigerian customer can increasingly compare your imported item against a direct-from-China price.

Your response is not necessarily to beat Temu on price.

Beat it on:

speed + trust + local stock + easier returns + customer service.

Can Nigerians sell through TikTok Shop? #

Do not confuse:

selling because you found customers on TikTok

with:

selling through TikTok Shop checkout.

TikTok is excellent for Nigerian product marketing.

You can use:

videos,

LIVE content,

creators,

ads,

and:

DMs/WhatsApp conversion.

But Nigeria is not currently shown among the seller markets on TikTok Shop's public cross-border Seller Center/Academy market lists, which currently highlight markets such as the US, Southeast Asia, UK, EU and Japan. (seller.tiktokglobalshop.com)

So do not build your Nigerian business plan around:

“TikTok Shop Nigeria commission is X%.”

until TikTok itself opens Nigerian seller onboarding.

You can sell from TikTok traffic today.

That is different.

WhatsApp and Instagram are still the simplest route #

For many Nigerian importers, the cheapest online store is:

Instagram → WhatsApp → bank transfer → delivery.

There is no marketplace commission on the sale itself.

But that does not mean it is free.

You may still pay for:

Meta ads + content creation + delivery + staff + failed orders.

The advantage is control.

You own the customer relationship.

You can also follow up for:

repeat orders

new stock

wholesale offers

and:

referrals.

That customer data is valuable.

WhatsApp's October 2026 pricing change is not for every small seller #

From 1 October 2026, Meta is changing pricing for businesses using the WhatsApp Business Platform/API.

Service messages and some utility messages that were previously free inside the 24-hour customer-service window will become chargeable on a per-message basis. (thecable.ng)

This mainly affects businesses using:

WhatsApp API / Business Platform

for large-scale automated customer messaging.

It does not mean every small trader using the normal WhatsApp Business app will suddenly pay every time they reply:

“Yes, available.”

If you use a bulk WhatsApp provider or API integration, ask the provider for the new Nigeria rate card before October.

Delivery is where online margin disappears #

You sell a product for:

₦25,000.

Looks profitable.

Then:

customer is in Abuja,

delivery costs money,

customer refuses the parcel,

courier brings it back,

you pay another logistics charge,

the box comes back damaged.

Your online profit is no longer the margin you calculated at the start.

Before launching online, know:

outbound delivery cost

and:

return cost.

Especially if you offer Pay on Delivery.

Do not use a courier price you found in an old blog post #

Courier rates change with:

city + weight + size + service speed + COD + fuel and operating cost.

Get the rate from the courier's current calculator or quotation.

Do not build your pricing spreadsheet from a 2023 screenshot.

For imported goods, delivery inside Nigeria belongs inside your selling-cost calculation.

It is not an afterthought.

Check the courier's insurance limit #

This is easy to miss.

Sendbox's current standard shipping insurance is free, but its terms cap compensation for a missing package at only:

₦10,000

regardless of the actual package value.

Its extended insurance costs 2% of the declared value and provides cover up to ₦200,000, subject to the terms and claim requirements. (sendbox.co)

So if you send:

a ₦180,000 phone

under a free ₦10,000 cover,

you are carrying almost all the risk yourself.

Know the compensation limit before dispatching expensive goods.

Pay on Delivery is not free convenience #

Customers like POD because it transfers risk to the seller.

The seller sends the goods first.

The customer decides later whether to complete the transaction.

Sometimes they:

do not answer,

change their mind,

travel,

give a bad address,

or:

simply refuse the package.

Now you have:

outbound logistics + return logistics + delayed stock + damaged packaging.

One bad POD order can wipe out the profit from several successful orders.

Use prepayment where the product allows it #

You do not necessarily need to ban Pay on Delivery completely.

But you can make prepayment more attractive.

For example:

₦25,000 — Pay on Delivery

or:

₦24,500 — prepaid

A small discount can be cheaper than repeated failed deliveries.

For repeat customers, prepayment should become easier because trust already exists.

Do not price online stock at the same margin as warehouse sales #

If you sell one carton to a wholesaler, your cost to make that sale may be small.

Selling 24 individual units online can involve:

24 customer conversations

24 packages

24 deliveries

advertising

returns

payment reconciliation

and:

customer support.

The retail margin has to pay for that work.

This is why online price should not be calculated by simply taking your wholesale price and adding ₦1,000.

Use pricing imported goods in Nigeria to build the full number.

Never release goods because of a bank alert #

Nigeria's payment infrastructure is huge.

NIBSS says electronic payments processed about 11.2 billion transactions worth roughly ₦1.07 quadrillion in 2024. (nibss-plc.com.ng)

But fraud remains real.

NIBSS reported approximately ₦25.85 billion in digital-payment fraud losses in 2025, with social engineering among the major fraud methods. (nibss-plc.com.ng)

For an online seller, the rule is absolute:

A screenshot is not payment.

An SMS alert is not payment.

A WhatsApp transfer receipt is not payment.

Open your banking app.

Check the account.

Release the goods only when the money is actually there.

Which channel should you start with? #

If you are new, do not try to master six platforms at once.

Choose the channel that fits the product.

Jumia works when you want marketplace traffic and structured fulfilment.

Konga gives marketplace reach with published category commissions and more fulfilment control.

Jiji works well for enquiry-driven and negotiable products.

Instagram + WhatsApp gives you the most direct customer relationship.

TikTok is powerful for discovery and customer acquisition, even without Nigerian TikTok Shop checkout.

Temu is something you should watch closely as direct-from-China competition.

Start with one or two.

Learn what converts.

Then expand.

The online-selling calculation #

Before listing any imported product, calculate:

Landed cost

• platform commission

• platform/logistics contribution

• advertising

• delivery

• expected return/failure cost

• payment cost

• your required profit

= online selling price

If customers will not pay that price, the answer is not to ignore one of the costs.

The product may simply not work on that channel.

The short answer #

Selling imported goods online in Nigeria can work very well.

But the cheapest-looking platform is not always the cheapest after:

commission + logistics + returns + advertising.

Jumia gives you reach but takes commissions and fulfilment-related fees.

Konga gives you marketplace reach with category and seller-tier commissions.

Jiji gives you enquiries but leaves more of the transaction to you.

Instagram, TikTok and WhatsApp let you build the customer yourself.

And whichever route you use:

verify payment before releasing the goods.

The real online business is not getting an order.

It is:

getting the order → delivering it successfully → collecting the money → keeping enough margin to reorder.

For the bigger sales strategy, read how to sell imported goods in Nigeria.

Then use pricing imported goods in Nigeria to make sure commission, delivery and returns are already inside your price.

First published 23 Sep 2026. Last checked 23 Sep 2026 by The ChinaBridge desk. Something here out of date? Tell us in the comments and we will fix it.