From initial brief to goods at your Lagos warehouse. Here's exactly how the process works, what we need from you at each stage, and what to expect on timeline, documentation and cost.
Ordering knitwear from a Turkish manufacturer for the first time is a different process than buying finished stock from a trader in Lagos or importing pre-made goods from China. The process has more steps, a longer timeline, and requires more upfront communication — but it produces a genuinely custom garment built to your label and spec. One thing that makes Turkey easier than most Asian sources for a Nigerian brand: we run the entire process in English, so your tech pack, comments and approvals are understood exactly as written, with no translation gap. Here's how it works with us, step by step.
Share whatever you have: a tech pack, a reference image, a sketch, or a description of what you want to make. The more specific you can be on stitch structure, gauge, yarn type, colours, size range, and target quantity, the faster we can give you useful numbers. We don't require a finished tech pack to start — we can help develop the construction spec from a reference. Because we work in English, you can write your brief exactly as you'd brief a designer at home and we'll read it the same way.
What we need at minimum: style category (pullover, cardigan, vest, etc.), target gauge range, yarn type (merino, cotton, mohair, cashmere blend, etc.), colourway count, size range, and approximate order quantity. Our minimum order is 250 pieces per colour, per size. Send to info@kiwigiyim.com or via WhatsApp at info@kiwigiyim.com.
Response time: 1 business day with a preliminary CMT range or follow-up questions. New to the factory? Start on our OEM knitwear manufacturer page to see what we make.
We produce a proto sample at $80–180 including courier shipping to Lagos. The sample is produced in the specified stitch structure and gauge, in your closest available yarn if the exact spec yarn isn't in stock. We ship via DHL or FedEx express to your address in Nigeria.
Sample review: evaluate fit, construction quality, stitch definition, and hand feel. If revisions are needed, we produce a revised sample at a reduced fee or incorporate changes into bulk if the revisions are minor. Most programmes need one proto and one revision sample before bulk. This is also the stage to compare what in-house flat-knit can do — see our merino cardigan and mohair cardigan programmes.
Payment: sample fee paid in full before production (T/T bank transfer or card via invoice link), quoted in USD.
Once the sample is approved, we issue a formal purchase order confirmation with: style details, yarn spec, colourways, quantities per size, unit CMT price, total amount, and the production and delivery timeline. You confirm and pay a 30% deposit.
At this stage we also: confirm yarn availability and source your specified fibre if not already in stock; schedule a production slot (typically 2–4 weeks from deposit to production start); and confirm the export documents you'll need for clearance. Because the Naira can move sharply, we quote and settle in USD and can work against a letter of credit — this protects both sides and matches how most Nigerian importers already pay. Open your supplier file early: a quick call with us before you raise your Form M keeps the paperwork aligned.
Most programmes run 45–60 days from production start to goods-ready. Complex constructions (intarsia, multi-stitch jacquard, WHOLEGARMENT) or larger quantities may add 1–2 weeks. We send a production update at the midpoint and a pre-shipment QC report when production is complete. All knitting is done in-house on our own machines — 15 Shima Seiki WHOLEGARMENT units and 7 Stoll flat-knit machines — so quality and timing stay under one roof.
Pre-production sample: one unit produced at the start of the bulk run for final construction confirmation. If you want this shipped to you for review before we run the full order, we can arrange that — it adds 7–10 days. Most clients with an approved proto skip this for faster delivery. Browse style options like our cotton sweater and turtleneck programmes while production runs.
When production is complete, we send the final QC report with measurements and photo documentation. You pay the 70% balance, and we ship. Standard shipment is ocean LCL (less than container load) from Mersin port; transit to Lagos — Apapa, Tin Can Island or the Lekki Deep Sea Port — is typically 10–14 days.
Documentation included: commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading, and certificate of origin. We provide the documents your licensed clearing agent needs to process your Form M and obtain the PAAR (Pre-Arrival Assessment Report) through the NICIS II platform, plus a SONCAP certificate where the product category requires SON conformity. Care labels and fibre-content labels are produced to your spec and to NIS labelling expectations.
Incoterms: we typically quote FOB Mersin or CIF Lagos. CIF lands the goods at your port of entry, after which your clearing agent handles duty and clearance; we'll recommend the structure that fits your setup.
| Stage | Duration | Your action |
|---|---|---|
| Brief → Proto start | 3–5 days | Send brief, confirm sample spec, pay sample fee |
| Proto production | 10–14 days | Wait |
| Proto review & revision | 5–14 days | Review, request revisions, approve |
| Order confirmation → production start | 14–28 days | Confirm PO, pay 30% deposit, open Form M |
| Bulk production | 45–60 days | Review midpoint update, approve QC report |
| Balance payment → shipment | 3–5 days | Pay 70% balance |
| Ocean transit to Lagos | 10–14 days | Brief clearing agent, secure PAAR & clearance |
| Total (first order) | ~13–17 weeks | Plan your collection calendar accordingly |
Be honest with yourself on this: Turkey gives you no customs advantage over China into Nigeria. There is no Turkey–Nigeria free trade agreement, so Turkish goods clear under the ECOWAS Common External Tariff like anyone else's — roughly 20% on apparel, plus VAT and levies, and as high as 35% on some textile categories. China has no FTA either, so both origins pay the same duty. Choose Turkey for quality, full in-house flat-knit and WHOLEGARMENT capability, English-language communication, China+1 supply security, and genuine private-label control — not for a cheaper landed price.
Ocean freight from Mersin to Lagos is typically 10–14 days in transit to Apapa, Tin Can Island or the Lekki Deep Sea Port. Add your own clearance time on top — that depends on your Form M, PAAR and clearing agent, not on us. We ship samples by DHL/FedEx express, which arrive much faster.
For commercial clearance into Nigeria you'll work through a valid Form M, get a PAAR via the NICIS II platform, and — for regulated product categories — a SONCAP certificate under SON's conformity scheme. We provide the export-side documents your clearing agent needs: commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading, certificate of origin, and fibre-content and care labelling to NIS expectations. Your licensed agent files the Nigerian-side paperwork.
Yes. We work with established yarn suppliers across Italy (Zegna Baruffa, Tollegno), Turkey, and China for commodity yarns. We can source merino, cashmere, alpaca, mohair, cotton, TENCEL, and recycled fibre to your spec. Specify the fibre, count, and any certification requirements (OEKO-TEX, GRS, BCI) in your brief. Turkish knitwear is a premium complement to Nigeria's own textile base around Kaduna — different positioning, not a price-down on local cotton basics.
We quote and settle in USD, and we're comfortable working against a letter of credit. That's how most Nigerian importers already structure overseas purchases, and it removes exchange-rate guesswork from both sides: you lock the USD figure at order confirmation, pay 30% deposit and 70% balance against documents, and your bank handles the Form M and FX side.
Send your brief or tech pack. We'll reply within 1 business day with a preliminary CMT range and any questions about your construction — in clear English, with no commitment required at this stage.
Order Process Guides
Step 1
What to check before you brief a factory — capability, MOQ, samples and red flags.
Read guide →Step 2
Sampling to shipment to Lagos: a realistic week-by-week timeline you can plan against.
Read guide →Step 3
ECOWAS CET, VAT and levies — and why there's no tariff edge over China.
Read guide →Step 4
SON conformity, labelling and the QC checks to confirm before a shipment leaves.
Read guide →Planning
Apapa, Tin Can and Lekki: Form M, PAAR and clearing your knitwear smoothly.
Read guide →