Can I verify a supplier without travelling to Nigeria?

Yes, if someone you trust visits on your behalf. A local business developer can inspect premises, meet the team and report with photographs and observations — which is materially different from a supplier’s own claims.

What payment method is safest?

Bank transfer against documents, with the beneficiary name matching the registered company exactly. Never a personal account, and never the full amount before a first delivery has been verified.

Are escrow services available?

CIOC does not provide escrow and holds no funds. What it provides is verification and milestone-based payments directly between the parties, so you approve each stage before the next is paid.

How many references should I check?

At least three, and out of the supplier’s presence. If a supplier cannot give you three reachable buyers, treat that as information about the business.

Sourcing· September 1, 2026

How to verify a Nigerian supplier before you pay

Sourcing from Nigeria — agricultural commodities, processed goods, minerals, manufactured components — attracts fraud precisely because distance makes verification feel optional. It is not. It is the whole job.

This guide sets out what to check, what to refuse, and how to structure a first order so that being wrong costs you a deposit rather than a container.

The three things you are actually verifying

Verification is not one check. It is three separate questions, and a supplier can pass one while failing the others.

Most buyers only ever test the first, which is why they are surprised by the second and third.

Does the company legally exist, under the name it is trading with?
Does it physically have the capacity it claims — goods, storage, equipment, staff?
Has it actually delivered to someone else, recently, at the volume you need?

Warning signs that repeat across cases

Fraudulent or simply incapable suppliers reveal themselves in patterns. None of these signs is conclusive alone; two or three together should stop you.

Refusal to allow a visit, or a visit that is postponed twice
A price well below every other quote, offered without negotiation
Pressure to pay the full amount upfront, or to a personal account
References that cannot be reached, or that answer only in writing
A business address that turns out to be a residential block or a virtual office

How to verify a partner before you commit

Verification is not paperwork. It is a set of questions asked face to face, and answers checked against something other than the candidate’s own assurances.

Ask for the last three suppliers or clients, and call them without the candidate present
Visit the warehouse or the shop — capacity is visible, claims are not
Check the registration and the tax identification, and confirm the trading name matches the bank account
Ask what they will NOT sell or distribute, and why — the answer tells you more than a catalogue

How to structure the first order

Assume your first transaction is a test, because it is. Structure it so that a failure costs you a deposit and a lesson, not a season.

Start with a sample you actually inspect. Then a first order small enough to absorb. Only scale once one delivery has arrived complete and on time — the second order is where most problems appear.

How CIOC works — and what it costs

You describe your objective: the country, the product, the type of buyer or distributor you are looking for. You publish a mission. Accredited business developers on that market apply, you compare profiles, and you choose.

Payment is milestone-based, directly between you and the business developer. CIOC holds no funds — no escrow. CIOC charges 2% for scoping and 8% commission.

A counterpart who lives on the market, not a firm working remotely
You approve each milestone before the next one is paid
You keep ownership of the commercial relationship

Frequently asked questions

Can I verify a supplier without travelling to Nigeria?: Yes, if someone you trust visits on your behalf. A local business developer can inspect premises, meet the team and report with photographs and observations — which is materially different from a supplier’s own claims.
What payment method is safest?: Bank transfer against documents, with the beneficiary name matching the registered company exactly. Never a personal account, and never the full amount before a first delivery has been verified.
Are escrow services available?: CIOC does not provide escrow and holds no funds. What it provides is verification and milestone-based payments directly between the parties, so you approve each stage before the next is paid.
How many references should I check?: At least three, and out of the supplier’s presence. If a supplier cannot give you three reachable buyers, treat that as information about the business.

Sources to verify

Corporate Affairs Commission — company registration
Federal Inland Revenue Service — tax identification
Nigeria Export Promotion Council — exporter registration

Customs and regulatory rules change and vary by country. Verify your specific case with official sources or a local business developer.

Ready to grow your sales in Africa?

Post a mission and let an accredited local business developer handle it. Deliverable-based payment, no office, 2% scoping + 8% commission.

Explore the African Market