Cameroon and Nigeria
What moves each way, the scams to watch for, and what to check before you trade.
Trade safely with Nigeria
The scams, documents and rules that matter on this corridor. Written and reviewed by our team, and dated.
Corridor-specific scam patterns and rules are still being reviewed by our team and will appear here once published.
- Confirm the company exists in an official register and that its name matches the one on the invoice.
- Before paying into a new or changed bank account, phone the company on a number you already hold, not one from the invoice or email.
- Test the container number, ship number, ports and dates on the bill of lading with the Document checker.
- Be wary of paying in advance for goods you have not seen, or of fees demanded to release a shipment.
- Ask the carrier directly to confirm the shipment exists and where it is.
In 2023, Cameroon sold Nigeria about $65.6 million of goods. The biggest products were soap, cigars, cheroots, cigarillos and cigarettes and containers for compressed or liquefied gas, which together make up 82% of the total. More than half of this trade is one product (soap), so it leans heavily on that one line. The total has grown by about 19% a year since 2022. Among the leading products, surveying is growing fastest, at about 750% a year.
In 2023, Cameroon bought about $65.5 million of goods from Nigeria. The biggest products were portland cement, aluminous cement, cigars, cheroots, cigarillos and cigarettes and petroleum oils and oils from bituminous…, which together make up 49% of the total. The total has fallen by about 7.2% a year since 2022. Among the leading products, sanitary towels is growing fastest, at about 1,778% a year.
Trade by year
Total trade each year, as reported in the tables below. A missing bar means no report for that year, not zero trade.
View as a table
| Year | Cameroon sells to Nigeria | Cameroon buys from Nigeria |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | $55.1m | $70.6m |
| 2023 | $65.6m | $65.5m |
What Cameroon sells to Nigeria
Ranked by value in 2023, by 4-digit product code. Growth is the yearly rate since 2022.
| Product | Value | Share | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Soap (organic surface-active preparations used as soap, skin washing, in bars, cakes, moulded pieces, shapes,… Product code 3401 · Soap and cleaning products | $44.9m Nigeria reports none | 68.4% | +23.5% a year |
| Cigars, cheroots, cigarillos and cigarettes (of tobacco or of tobacco substitutes) Product code 2402 · Tobacco | $5.1m Nigeria reports none | 7.8% | +518.1% a year |
| Containers for compressed or liquefied gas, of iron or steel Product code 7311 · Iron and steel articles | $3.5m Nigeria reports none | 5.4% | n/a |
Biggest product groups: Soap and cleaning products (68%), Tobacco (8%), Iron and steel articles (6%), Wood (3%), Oil seeds and grains (3%) .
What Cameroon buys from Nigeria
Ranked by value in 2023, by 4-digit product code. Growth is the yearly rate since 2022.
| Product | Value | Share | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portland cement, aluminous cement (ciment fondu), slag cement, supersulphate cement and similar hydraulic ceme… Product code 2523 · Salt, stone and cement | $13.1m | 20.0% | +64.5% a year |
| Cigars, cheroots, cigarillos and cigarettes (of tobacco or of tobacco substitutes) Product code 2402 · Tobacco | $11.0m | 16.8% | -40.0% a year |
| Petroleum oils and oils from bituminous minerals, not crude (preparations not listed elsewhere, containing by… Product code 2710 · Fuels and oils | $8.0m Nigeria reports none | 12.2% | -3.6% a year |
Biggest product groups: Salt, stone and cement (21%), Tobacco (17%), Fuels and oils (16%), Fertilisers (11%), Vehicles (6%) .
Where the opportunities are
Products that are moving on this corridor. Only products of a meaningful size are listed. Treat these as leads to check, not promises: a fast rise can reverse.
A free account shows the complete product lists, every fast-growing and new product, and the markets where this corridor supplies little. Accounts are checked by hand, so use your business email.
Create a free account Sign inHow to read these figures
Value is what was traded in the year, in US dollars. A big number means a big market, not necessarily an easy one to enter.
Share is that product's part of the total in the table above. A product with a large share is what this corridor already trades most of.
Growth is the average yearly change since the first year shown. A green figure means trade in that product is rising.
Product code is the international customs code (HS) for the product group. Your customs agent and the guide below will ask for it, and it decides the duty you pay.
These are totals reported by customs authorities, not prices or orders. Use them to see where demand exists, then check the rules and the company you plan to deal with.
Next steps
Trade figures are what each country reported to the UN (Comtrade), in US dollars. Imports are usually reported including freight and insurance, exports without, so the two sides of a corridor will not match exactly. Company counts are companies listed on ExporterIQ.