What Nigerian Foods Can You Ship to Canada? Allowed and Prohibited List

Nothing tastes like home. For many Nigerians in Canada, a box of garri, ogbono, pepper soup spice or Ofada rice from family in Lagos is the best package of the year. But food is also the category most likely to get a shipment held at customs.

Here is DAP Logistics Express’s list of what you can and can’t send from Nigeria to Canada, so your package arrives instead of being stopped.

Allowed: dried foods

Grains and flours
Dried grinded corn, elubo, semo, yam flour, plantain flour, garri, egbo, okpa flour, beans flour, fufu flour, acha powder and dry ogi (ogi flour).

Spices and seasonings
Cameroon pepper, pepper soup spice, ehuru, uda, dried iru (locust beans), ogbono (blended is allowed), herbs and tree barks (grounded only) and seedless dates.

Specialty foods
Ofada rice, Golden Morn, ugba, and abacha/tapioca. These must be packaged properly with labels.

Fish
Well-dried fish is allowed, but by air cargo only.

Allowed: processed foods

Drinks and beverages: Maltina (non-alcoholic), Milo, Bournvita, Ovaltine and Milo tea.

Seasonings and cooking: Maggi Signature, Knorr (ordinary), salt, sugar, suya spice, blended pepper soup spices, dry banga spices and pepper mix (e.g. Gino).

Protein and snacks: Sardine (Titus), Geisha and Burger peanut snack.

Others: Plantain chips, zobo leaves and Blue Band margarine.

Allowed: kitchen and household

• Palm oil, which must be properly padded. An extra cost applies for leakage protection, and it must go in brand-new kegs, padded separately.
• Cooking pots
• Mortar and pestle

Not allowed: what to leave out

All animal products are completely prohibited. This includes meat and chicken products (for example ponmo and kilishi), milk in any form, and corned beef.

Other restricted foods: chicken-flavored seasonings and parboiled rice. (Local rice and Ofada rice are allowed.)

Agricultural items: herbs, seeds, sand or soil, and dry leaves. Dry leaves are limited to 1-2 pouches, and only if allowed under special handling.

For safety reasons: charcoal and camphor.

Outside food, also leave out bleaching or whitening skincare, chemicals, drugs and medicines, fake designer wear, gold or valuable items, and anything hazardous such as explosives, flammable items, aerosols and compressed or pressurized containers.

Common mix-ups

• Kilishi and ponmo feel like snacks, but they are animal products, so they are not allowed.
• Rice: parboiled rice is not allowed, but local rice and Ofada are.
• Seasoning cubes: Maggi Signature and ordinary Knorr are fine. Chicken-flavored seasonings are not.
• Fish: well-dried fish can go, but only by air.

Packaging rules for food

Proper packing and labeling are mandatory for all food products, in line with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. Supermarket-grade packaging is mandatory for food. DAP can supply packaging at our Lagos office:

• Styrofoam boxes (price depends on size): ₦19,000 to ₦31,500
• Cartons: ₦1,000 to ₦3,000
• Vacuum seal bags: ₦1,000 to ₦2,000
• Pouches with labels: ₦400 to ₦500

A handling fee of ₦5,000 per customer applies.

Customs disclaimer

All shipments are subject to customs examination, inspection and regulatory control in both Nigeria and Canada. Prohibited, undeclared or non-compliant items may be refused entry, seized, destroyed at the importer’s expense, returned at extra cost, or attract fines, and delays beyond the carrier’s control can happen. DAP Logistics Express Ltd. and partners are not responsible for losses arising from customs enforcement actions. Once payment is made, you have agreed to these guidelines.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I ship garri to Canada?

Yes. Garri is on the allowed list of dried foods.

Can I send ponmo or kilishi?

No. All animal products, including ponmo and kilishi, are completely prohibited.

Can I ship dried fish?

Yes, if it is well dried, and only by air cargo.

Is rice allowed?

Local rice and Ofada rice are allowed. Parboiled rice is not.

Can I send palm oil?

Yes, in brand-new kegs, padded separately. An extra cost applies for leakage protection.

Can I send Milo or Bournvita?

Yes, both are allowed.

Do I need special packaging?

Yes. Supermarket-grade packaging and proper labeling are mandatory for food.