The classic way to send plenty to family back home — a barrel packed full and shipped by sea.
A barrel to Nigeria ships by sea for a flat £100, taking 4–6 weeks to our Lagos office. A standard drum holds 220 litres and around 70 kg. We sell drums at £55, collect from your address across London and the home counties, and can deliver on to any of the 36 states, quoted by state.
Barrel shipping is the backbone of this corridor. A 220-litre drum, packed with food, clothing and household goods, shipped by sea and collected from our Lagos office or delivered on to the family — it is how most people send most things.
Because barrels are priced per barrel rather than per kilo, how well you fill one decides the value you get out of it. A half-empty barrel costs exactly the same as a full one.
How barrel shipping works
- Tell us how many barrels you are sending and roughly what is in them
- We can supply the barrel, or you can use your own proper shipping drum
- Pack it — heaviest at the bottom, fragile wrapped in clothing, every gap filled
- We collect from your address, or you drop off
- It travels by sea and we clear it through Nigeria Customs on arrival
- The recipient collects from our Lagos office — or we deliver to the door in any state, quoted by state
What a barrel holds
We take drums from 45 to 55 gallons at the same flat price — a standard 55-gallon drum is about 220 litres, roughly 90cm tall and 58cm across, with a practical weight cap around 70 kg. In real terms that is a 10 kg bag of rice, several bags of garri and beans, a carton of noodles, assorted tins and provisions, and still room for clothing.
The thing that surprises most first-time senders is that weight usually runs out before space does. A barrel of dense food hits the cap while it still looks half empty; a barrel of bedding fills to the brim and weighs almost nothing. Mixing the two is how you use a barrel properly.
What people put in barrels
- Food staples — garri, beans, semolina, egusi, crayfish, dried fish, spices
- Groceries — tinned goods, custard, powdered milk, Milo, noodles, biscuits
- Clothing and shoes for the whole family
- Bedding, towels and household textiles
- Kitchen equipment — pots, plates, utensils
- Toiletries, hair products, nappies and baby items
What you cannot put in a barrel
Several ordinary supermarket items are prohibited imports even inside a personal barrel — cooking oil, retail-pack soaps and detergents, common tablets like paracetamol, frozen meat, eggs and bottled drinks among them. Check anything you are unsure about before you pack it rather than after.
Barrel or boxes?
Barrels win on protection and value per litre — waterproof, stackable, and able to survive handling that flattens cardboard. Boxes suit smaller loads or awkward shapes. If you are unsure which is cheaper for what you are sending, send us the list and we will price both.
What's Included
- Drums sold at £55
- £100 per barrel
- Collection from your door
- Packing guidance included
Not sure it will all fit? Plan it first with our barrel packing planner.
Price My Barrel TodayCommon questions
How much does it cost to ship a barrel to Nigeria?
£100 per barrel by sea to our Lagos office, plus a ₦5,000 handling fee paid in Nigeria on collection. We sell drums at £55 if you need one, and door delivery is quoted by state. Because the price is per barrel and not per kilo, a full barrel and a half-empty one cost the same — which is why packing properly matters so much.
How much fits in a barrel?
A standard drum is 220 litres with a practical cap around 70 kg — roughly a 10 kg bag of rice, several bags of garri and beans, a carton of noodles, tinned food and still room for clothes. Our barrel planner shows you exactly, and warns you which limit you are about to hit.
Do you supply the barrel?
Yes — £55 for a proper shipping drum. If you would rather use your own, make sure it is a proper shipping drum with a metal ring clamp rather than a food barrel with a push-on lid — the latter does not survive the journey.
How long does a barrel take to arrive?
Typically 4–6 weeks to our Lagos office including clearance; door delivery adds road time. For Christmas arrival the booking deadline falls in the first week of November, which is earlier than most people expect.
What can I not put in a barrel?
Cooking oil, retail-pack soap and detergent, common tablets such as paracetamol, frozen meat, eggs and bottled drinks are all prohibited imports. Our items checker gives you a straight answer on anything specific.
How do I stop things breaking?
Fill every gap. A tightly packed barrel travels far better than a half-full one because nothing can shift over several weeks at sea. Put the heaviest items at the bottom and wrap fragile things in clothing in the middle.
Is it cheaper to send one barrel or two?
One, almost always — you pay per barrel and per shipment, so two separate shipments means paying the handling twice. If everything nearly fits in one, it is usually worth consolidating rather than splitting.