Throwback: Our First-Ever International Bulk Shipment
Every business has a moment it never forgets.
Sometimes, itâs the day the first sale hits your books. Or the day your team outgrows the cramped office and moves into a space that finally feels like⌠something. For us at Amel International Services Limited, one of those unforgettable moments came packed into a 20-foot shipping container, bound for a customer thousands of kilometers away. Our first-ever international bulk shipment.
I remember it vividlyânot because it was flawless, but because it wasnât. That container symbolized more than just product moving across borders. It was a declaration: that Nigerian-made consumer goods could compete globally. That what we were building here wasnât limited to the neighborhood market or the regional supermarket chain. We had something bigger to say. And for once, the world was listening.
At the time, we were already producing at reasonable scale for local distributionâcustard powders, cocoa drink mix, corn flour, baking ingredients. Sales were steady, the market was responding well, and we were growing incrementally.
But the question started popping up in meetings, slowly at first: âWhat would it take for us to export?â
There wasnât a clear answer. Nigeriaâs FMCG sector has long been inward-looking. Between regulatory hurdles, port congestion, currency volatility, and limited trade agreements that benefit small manufacturers, it just seemed⌠easier to stay local.
But staying local has its ceiling.
One day, a distributor based in the UK reached out via a mutual contact. Theyâd heard of our cocoa product through a relative who visited Nigeria. They wanted to carry a Nigerian hot cocoa brand on their shelves. They were testing several options and asked if weâd be willing to send samples.
We said yes. That âyesâ set off a chain of events we werenât fully prepared forâbut desperately needed.
Exporting, we quickly learned, is a different ballgame.
Formulations had to meet different food safety standards. Packaging had to withstand longer transit times and different temperatures. Ingredient traceability and documentation had to be airtight.
Then came the red tapeâexport permits, customs classifications, shipping declarations, NAFDAC clearance, labeling requirements. Youâd think we were shipping rocket parts, not cocoa mix and custard powder.
There were moments when it felt like it wasnât worth it. Delays piled up. Freight costs surged. We nearly lost the customer once due to a miscommunication on lead time.
But something kept us going. Maybe pride. Maybe stubbornness. Maybe both.
Eventually, with the support of our small but mighty team, we secured the documents, updated our packaging line, loaded the container, and locked the doors on what felt like the future.
I watched that truck drive out of our compound with a strange mix of nerves and awe. I think we all stood there for a second longer than usual.
Weeks later, we received a message from the distributor: âGoods received in excellent condition. Products cleared. Initial sales strong.â
That was it. That one sentence made it real.
Our Amel Susan-branded packsâborn in our factory here in Nigeriaâwere now sitting on shelves in the UK. Purchased by people who had never heard of us, never seen our faces, but chose us anyway.
That shipment didnât make us rich. In fact, it barely broke even. But it cracked open a door. It changed how we saw ourselves. No longer just a local FMCG brand. We were exporters. We were participants in global commerce.
And more importantly, we were representing Nigeria on a shelf far from home.
Today, weâve completed many more international shipments. Weâve expanded to neighboring African countries, explored Middle Eastern markets, and even initiated talks with buyers in North America. But that first shipment? It remains a symbol of whatâs possible when determination meets opportunity.
It taught us how to adapt our systems. How to listen to feedback from a totally different market. How to anticipate challenges instead of reacting to them. And most of allâit reminded us that Nigerian products deserve a place in the global conversation.
Which is why Iâm especially proud that Amel International Services Limited has been nominated for the 2025 Go Global Awards, taking place in London this November 18â19. Hosted by the International Trade Council, this isnât just a ceremony. Itâs a coming-together of some of the worldâs most forward-thinking business minds. A chance to learn, to collaborate, and to represent our corner of the world with dignity and ambition.
To think that our first bulk shipment started all of thisâitâs humbling.
A Word to Fellow Entrepreneurs
If youâre running a small business in Nigeriaâor anywhere in Africaâyouâve likely felt that same pull toward expansion. That urge to see your product somewhere outside your local zone. Maybe youâve hesitated, unsure if your systems can handle it, or if the world even wants what you have to offer.
Hereâs what Iâll say: it wonât be easy. You will doubt yourself. But that doesnât mean itâs not worth it.
Start small. Talk to someone whoâs done it. Learn what the documentation process really looks like. Think about shelf life. Be honest about your readinessâbut donât let fear masquerade as âcaution.â The path isnât clear-cut. But if we could do it, so can you.
That first shipment isnât just a box of goods. Itâs a stake in the ground. Itâs a signalâto yourself and to othersâthat youâre ready to be part of something larger.
Today, I walk past our shipping area and smile when I see pallets stacked and sealed, bound for new destinations. But nothing quite compares to that first container. The excitement. The panic. The quiet pride.
It taught us that exports arenât just for multinationals with deep pockets. Theyâre for Nigerian businesses with deep commitment.
So hereâs to the past, that container full of dreams. And hereâs to the future, where more Nigerian brandsâbig and smallâclaim their place on the global stage.
