Practical, no-fluff guides for Nigerian brands sourcing sweaters and knitwear from Türkiye — import duty, Form M and SONCAP, Lagos logistics, quality and China+1, written by a working flat-knit factory, not a content farm.
Why Nigerian brands add a non-China knitwear supplier — concentration risk, quality and MOQ flexibility. Honestly, for Nigeria it is not about tariffs (both Turkey and China pay full ECOWAS CET) but diversification, quality and an English-language workflow.
Read guide → Tariffs & CustomsNo Türkiye–Nigeria FTA. Knitwear enters under the ECOWAS CET (~20%+ levies and VAT, higher on some textiles) — and China is in the same position. How the duty actually works, and the Form M / SONCAP process.
Read guide → Sourcing GuideSeven checkpoints that predict whether an overseas factory works out — equipment, sample precision, communication, QC stages, traceability, price transparency and references — plus SONCAP/NIS labelling.
Read guide → TechniqueSeamless one-piece knitting explained — fit, durability, near-zero waste — the Shima Seiki MACH2XS requirement, and why this equipment is clustered in Gaziantep. A premium complement to local production.
Read guide → Quality ControlHow to hit your quality bar at a Turkish factory through clear spec sheets and inspection checkpoints — SON/SONCAP conformity, NIS labelling, sealed samples, 4-stage QC and AQL. The English-language spec advantage.
Read guide → LogisticsOcean routes Mersin → Lagos (Apapa/Tin Can, Lekki Deep Sea Port) in ~10–14 days, Incoterms, and the Nigerian customs reality — Form M, PAAR, NICIS II, local marine insurance and SONCAP.
Read guide → Certification & ESGOEKO-TEX STANDARD 100, GOTS, bluesign and RCS/GRS — what they certify, how to obtain them and what they cost. Why they matter for re-export to the EU/US/West Africa and growing ESG expectations.
Read guide → Private LabelThe full private-label path — tech pack, factory and samples, approval, pre-production, production, QC and import. MOQ 250 thinking, a first-order test approach, and the English-language workflow advantage.
Read guide → Sourcing ComparisonAn honest five-point comparison — duty is parity (both pay full ECOWAS CET), China wins on huge-volume unit cost, Turkey leads on quality and flat-knit, and English communication is a genuine plus. Role division, not either/or.
Read guide → PlanningPhase by phase — tech pack, sampling, revisions, production and ~10–14 day ocean transit to Lagos, plus Form M / SONCAP timing. First-order total ~12–18 weeks; repeats ~8–12 weeks. How to plan back from your season.
Read guide → MaterialsMaterial selection for Nigeria’s climate — cashmere micron grades, merino, wool blends and cotton-rich knits — with quality testing (fibre composition, pilling, colourfastness) and accurate NIS fibre-content labelling.
Read guide → SourcingThe Gaziantep flat-knit cluster — Shima Seiki/Stoll concentration, supply-chain completeness, 20+ years of European-brand export experience. An honest comparison with China, Portugal and Bangladesh.
Read guide →Not Nigeria-specific, but useful for any brand sourcing knit.