Africa · Lagos
Ship chandlers serving Lagos use Tidal to turn RFQ emails into priced quotes in under 30 minutes, matched to their own catalogue and margin rules. Send us one real RFQ and we will quote it with you on a 30 minute call.
Get a live demo on one of your own RFQs
Leave your work email and company. We reply within one business day to set up 30 minutes, then quote a real RFQ from Lagos with you.
Looking for a ship chandler in Lagos, or selling to us? Read this first.
Is this for you?
Tidal is quoting software. Ship chandlers and marine suppliers use it to answer buyer RFQs faster. We do not supply vessels ourselves.
A good fit if you
Not the right page if you
How it works
What changes for a Lagos chandler on the first day with Tidal.
By email, PDF, Excel or a portal export. Tidal reads every line, including vague descriptions and missing codes.
Each line is matched to your own catalogue and item codes, with unclear lines flagged for your team.
Your supplier prices, client tiers and margin rules are applied. You review and approve every line.
Send the quote, turn it into a sales order, then check supplier invoices against it when they arrive.
See it working
Turns buyer RFQs into priced quotes and sales orders from your own catalogue and supplier prices.
See Quote DeskReads supplier invoices from a photo or PDF and checks them against the order before they reach your accounts.
See Invoice CaptureStand SUZ 4, Suntec, 24 to 25 November 2026. Bring an RFQ and see it priced.
Plan your visitCustomer Story
How a Singapore Based Ship Chandler Cut RFQ Response Time From 36 Hours to Under 3
Read the case study
Lagos and its ports
Lagos grew up around a lagoon, and its ports still define the city. Apapa and Tin Can Island sit on the western side of the harbour, handling containers, bulk and general cargo for Africa's most populous country. Since 2023 the deep water port at Lekki, east of the city, has taken larger container ships than the older quays can berth. Offshore oil and gas support vessels, tankers and coastal traders add steady demand of their own.
For a ship supplier, Lagos means volume with friction. Road congestion around Apapa is well known, so delivery windows are narrow and a launch or a night run often decides whether stores reach a vessel before she sails. Agents, owners' representatives and offshore operators all send requests, frequently at short notice and in different formats. A chandler who can price a long list quickly and accurately wins more of that work.
Relationships matter in Lagos, and a personal introduction or an existing contact usually opens doors faster than a cold email. Business is done in English, with Yoruba common in the city. Phone calls and WhatsApp carry much of the daily work, with email used to confirm orders and prices. Ramadan and both Eid holidays affect hours for many Muslim colleagues, and Christmas and Easter are major breaks.
Lagos was a trading port long before colonial rule, and Britain annexed it in 1861. Dredging and breakwater work on the harbour bar in the early twentieth century let ocean steamers enter the lagoon from about 1914. Apapa wharf followed, and the Nigerian Ports Authority was set up in 1955. Lagos remained the federal capital until 1991, and Lekki Deep Sea Port opened in 2023.
Demand comes from container lines calling at Apapa, Tin Can and Lekki, tankers at the oil and product berths, and a large offshore support fleet serving fields in the Niger Delta and deeper water. Buyers expect quick quotes, honest lead times and a supplier who can deal with customs paperwork and port access without drama. Price matters, but reliability on delivery day matters more.
We start with a remote 30 minute demo using one of your own RFQs, so you see it priced from your catalogue. Most chandlers are live in about a week, set up on their own catalogue and margin rules, with no IT team needed. India runs 4.5 hours ahead of Lagos, so our afternoon covers your working morning, roughly 8am to 2pm Lagos time.
FAQ
Send us one RFQ from Lagos
We will quote it with Tidal on a 30 minute call, line by line against your own catalogue, so you can compare it with how long it takes your team today.
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