Bitumen Supplier in Nigeria — Grades 60/70, 40/50 and Oxidized via Lagos
As a bitumen supplier in Nigeria, Zumrut International Kimya delivers penetration grades 60/70, 40/50 and 80/100 plus oxidized grades into Lagos, Onne and Port Harcourt in drums, jumbo bags and bulk. Nigeria is the largest construction market in West Africa and its supply picture is changing fast — domestic refining capacity has expanded significantly since 2024, which makes the question of when to import worth answering honestly rather than avoiding.
Choosing a bitumen grade for Nigerian conditions
Penetration grade measures hardness at 25 °C: the lower the number, the harder the binder. The first thing a bitumen supplier in Nigeria should establish is which climate zone the road sits in, because the country spans two genuinely different environments.
The southern belt from Lagos through the Niger Delta to Calabar is humid tropical — hot, very wet, with a long rainy season and a narrow daily temperature range. The northern zone through Kano, Kaduna, Sokoto and Maiduguri is Sudanian and Sahelian — considerably hotter peak temperatures, a single shorter rainy season, and the dry dusty Harmattan between December and February.
Those are different binder problems. The south asks for resistance to sustained moisture and moderate heat. The north asks for resistance to peak heat and a wide daily swing.
| Grade | Penetration | Character | Where it fits in Nigeria |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bitumen 40/50 | 40–50 dmm | Hardest | Northern zone around Kano and Sokoto, Lagos port aprons and container yards, airport pavements, heavy freight corridors |
| Bitumen 60/70 | 60–70 dmm | Standard paving grade | The national default — federal highways, southern urban roads, general road construction |
| Bitumen 80/100 | 80–100 dmm | Softest | Cold-mix patching, stockpile maintenance material, lightly trafficked rural and feeder roads |
Typical values. A batch certificate of analysis is issued before every shipment.
The rainfall misconception
Nigeria’s southern belt gets a great deal of rain, and the most common request we field as a bitumen supplier in Nigeria is for a softer grade because of it. That is the wrong response.
Penetration grade is matched to temperature, not moisture. What heavy rainfall attacks is the bond between binder and aggregate — a failure mode called stripping — and that is solved through aggregate selection, mix design and anti-strip additives. Specifying a softer binder because a site is wet gives you rutting without addressing the moisture problem at all.
When importing makes sense now
Nigeria’s refining capacity has expanded substantially since 2024, and that changes the honest answer to why a buyer would import.
Where importing still makes sense: when local availability is tight or allocation is uncertain, when a project needs a grade the domestic producers are not offering on your timeline, on contracts where the specification is audited and a batch certificate against a named standard is required, and for oxidized and specialty grades that are not produced locally in volume.
Where it does not: for standard 60/70 in modest quantities with flexible timing, a domestic source will often be cheaper and faster. We will say so rather than quote something that does not serve you.
What importing gives you either way: a batch certificate of analysis for the material actually loaded, a known production date, and visibility of the vessel and schedule. On FERMA and federal contracts where compliance is checked, that documentation is frequently a requirement rather than a preference.
Oxidized bitumen for roofing and waterproofing
This is where imported material has the clearest case. Oxidized grades are not produced in Nigeria at commercial scale, and in a climate with this much rainfall, roof and foundation waterproofing is structural rather than cosmetic.
| Grade | Softening point | Penetration | Use in Nigeria |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oxidized 85/25 | 80–90 °C | 20–30 dmm | The most widely traded grade — roofing felt, torch-on membranes, foundation damp-proofing |
| Oxidized 90/15 | 85–95 °C | 10–20 dmm | Sealing compounds, joint filling, harder membrane applications |
| Oxidized 115/15 | 110–120 °C | 10–20 dmm | Pipe coating for the oil and gas sector, industrial membranes, heavy-duty sealing |
Full range on our oxidized bitumen page.
Ports and the Lagos congestion problem
Nigeria has five working commercial ports, and the choice matters more here than in most West African markets because of what happens at Lagos.
| Port | Role | Serves |
|---|---|---|
| Apapa, Lagos | Principal port, handles the largest share of national trade | Lagos and the southwest. Known for congestion and long truck queues |
| Tin Can Island, Lagos | Second Lagos terminal | Same hinterland as Apapa, same access constraints |
| Onne | Deep-water port with an oil and gas free zone | Rivers State, the Niger Delta, and the energy sector. Generally less congested |
| Port Harcourt | Established port serving the southeast | Rivers, Abia and the eastern states |
| Calabar | Eastern port, shallower draught | Cross River and the far southeast |
Apapa and Tin Can handle the volume, but access congestion is a real and persistent cost — demurrage and haulage delays at Lagos can exceed the freight saving of landing there. For projects in the east or the Delta, Onne or Port Harcourt is frequently faster and cheaper despite smaller vessel options. Send us the project location and we will price both routes.
Beyond Nigeria, cargo landed here also moves overland to Niger and Chad. If your project sits across the border, the sea leg and documentation are the same — only the inland arrangement and transit customs regime change, and those need to be set up before arrival.
Applications across Nigerian projects
These are the applications a bitumen supplier in Nigeria is most often asked to cover, from federal highway contracts down to state maintenance work.
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Federal and state highways
The Lagos–Ibadan corridor, the East-West Road, and the trunk network linking the state capitals. High traffic and heavy freight.
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Urban roads
Lagos, Abuja, Kano, Port Harcourt and Ibadan — arterials and municipal networks, much of it rehabilitation under continuous traffic.
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Airport pavements
Runways, taxiways and aprons at Lagos, Abuja, Kano and Port Harcourt, where harder grades are typically specified and compliance is audited.
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Oil and gas infrastructure
Access roads and hardstanding across the Niger Delta, plus hard oxidized grades for pipeline coating.
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Port and industrial hardstanding
Container yards and free zone infrastructure at Lagos, Onne and the developing Lekki area.
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Roof and foundation waterproofing
Membranes and coatings across the building programme, particularly in the humid south where rainfall puts continuous pressure on the envelope.
Working through the rainy season
The southern rains run roughly April to October and are long enough to remove a substantial part of the year from the hot-mix programme. In the north the season is shorter, around June to September.
Emulsions, particularly cationic CSS-1 and CRS-1, extend the working window because water is already the carrier and they tolerate damp aggregate. Cutback grades cure by solvent evaporation and need a genuinely dry surface. Neither bonds to standing water, but emulsion is considerably more forgiving of residual moisture.
The practical implication is ordering timing. If your programme starts when the rains end, place the order before — every contractor in the region is mobilising in the same window.
Bitumen price in Nigeria
Delivered price into Lagos is built from four moving parts, plus one specific to this market. Any bitumen supplier in Nigeria quoting a flat number without naming these is quoting a number that will not hold.
Crude and vacuum bottom. Vacuum bottom is the feedstock and its price tracks crude with a lag. The largest single component.
Ocean freight. Rates from the Gulf and the Mediterranean into West African ports move independently of crude and swing with vessel availability and Red Sea routing.
Port cost and congestion. This is the Nigeria-specific factor. Demurrage and haulage delay at Lagos can outweigh a lower freight rate, which is why the eastern ports are worth pricing even for a slightly longer inland leg.
Domestic reference and exchange rate. Imported cargo now competes against expanded local supply, and bitumen is priced in dollars while the naira moves. On a long lead time both factors are real.
Indicative levels are published on our bitumen price page and updated weekly. A firm quote is issued against a specific quantity, discharge port and delivery window.
Payment, inspection and documentation
Our standard terms as a bitumen supplier in Nigeria are 30% by TT in advance, balance against a copy of the Bill of Lading. The advance secures production and loading; the balance falls due once the cargo is demonstrably on the water and documented. For repeat contracts we also work against an irrevocable LC at sight.
A shipment travels with a commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading, certificate of origin and the batch certificate of analysis. Import clearance runs through the Nigeria Customs Service, and imported goods are generally subject to conformity assessment administered through the Standards Organisation of Nigeria — which normally means a certificate is required before shipment rather than on arrival. Requirements change; confirm the current position with your clearing agent before the vessel loads.
SGS, Bureau Veritas or the surveyor named in your contract can attend loading for quality and quantity. A batch test report is issued by our QC before every shipment regardless.
Useful references: the Standards Organisation of Nigeria publishes current conformity requirements for imported goods, and the Nigerian Ports Authority publishes terminal and handling information.
Packing and container loading
Packing choice drives both delivered cost and what you need at destination. These are the options we ship as a bitumen supplier in Nigeria.
| Packing | Unit | Per 20′ container | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steel drum | 180 kg | 80 drums = 14.4 MT | New sealed drums; no heated discharge required, survives long inland haulage north |
| Steel drum | 200 kg | 80 drums = 16.0 MT | Lowest packing cost per tonne in drummed form |
| Kraft bag | 25 kg | approx. 20 MT palletised | Oxidized grades only. Store under cover immediately in the humid south |
| Jumbo bag | 300 kg | approx. 20 MT | Lower packing cost, requires forklift or crane at destination |
| Bulk bitutainer | 20–22 MT | 1 unit | Only where the receiving plant has heated tank storage |
Container figures are typical for standard 20′ dry containers and vary with the shipping line’s payload limit. Our minimum order of 100 MT is roughly seven containers of drummed product.
Frequently asked questions about bitumen supply in Nigeria
The questions below come up in almost every enquiry we receive as a bitumen supplier in Nigeria.
Which bitumen grade is right for road construction in Nigeria?
60/70 for most federal and state road work. Step down to 40/50 in the northern zone around Kano and Sokoto, on Lagos port approaches, and on airport pavements, where heat and heavy slow loading combine. Use 80/100 for cold-mix patching and lightly trafficked rural roads.
Does heavy rainfall in the south mean we should use a softer grade?
No. Penetration grade is matched to temperature, not moisture. What rainfall attacks is stripping, the bond between binder and aggregate, which is addressed through aggregate selection, mix design and anti-strip additives. A softer binder gives you rutting without solving the moisture problem.
Does importing still make sense now that Nigeria refines more locally?
For some situations. Imported cargo makes sense when local availability or allocation is uncertain, when a grade is not offered domestically on your timeline, on audited contracts requiring a batch certificate against a named standard, and for oxidized and specialty grades not produced locally at scale. For standard 60/70 in modest volume with flexible timing, a domestic source is often better and we will tell you so.
Should we discharge at Lagos or an eastern port?
Apapa and Tin Can handle the volume but congestion is a persistent cost — demurrage and haulage delay can exceed the freight saving. For projects in the east or the Niger Delta, Onne or Port Harcourt is frequently faster and cheaper despite smaller vessel options. Send us the project location and we will price both.
Can you deliver to Niger or Chad through Nigerian ports?
Yes. Cargo landed at Lagos or the eastern ports moves overland to both. The sea leg and documentation match a Nigerian cargo; the inland arrangement and transit customs regime are separate and must be set up before arrival rather than after.
What is the minimum order quantity?
100 MT, which is roughly seven 20′ containers of drummed product or five bulk bitutainers. Mixed grades within one shipment are accepted provided each grade reaches one full container.
What are your payment terms?
30% by TT in advance with the balance settled against a copy of the Bill of Lading. Irrevocable LC at sight is available for repeat contracts. Note that bitumen is priced in dollars, so on longer lead times the naira exposure is worth addressing in the contract.
Do you supply cutback bitumen and emulsion to Nigeria?
Yes. MC, RC and SC cutback grades for prime coats and surface dressing, and anionic and cationic emulsions for tack coats and slurry seals. Both can be combined with penetration grades in the same shipment provided each product reaches one full container.
Specification
Bitumen 60/70
| Bitumen 60/70 | Test method | Unit | Specification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Specific gravity @ 25°C | ASTM D70 | Kg/cm3 | 1.01/1.06 |
| Penetration @ 25°C | ASTM D5 | mm/10 | 60/70 |
| Softening point °C | ASTM D36 | °C | 49/56 |
| Ductility @25 °C | ASTM D113 | cm | 100 min |
| Loss on heating(wt) % | ASTM D6 | wt % | 0.2 max |
| Drop in penetration after heating % | ASTM D5-D6 | % | 20 max |
| Flashpoint °C | ASTM D92 | °C | 232 min |
| Solubility in Trichloroethylene | ASTM D2042 | wt % | 99 min |
| Spot test | A.A.S.H.O.T102 | Negative |
Bitumen 80/100
| Bitumen 80/100 | Test method | Unit | Specification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Specific gravity @ 25°C | ASTM D70 | Kg/cm3 | 1.01/1.06 |
| Penetration @ 25°C | ASTM D5 | mm/10 | 80/100 |
| Softening point °C | ASTM D36 | °C | 42/50 |
| Ductility @25 °C | ASTM D113 | cm | 100 min |
| Loss on heating(wt) % | ASTM D6 | wt % | 0.2 max |
| Drop in penetration after heating % | ASTM D5-D6 | % | 20 max |
| Flashpoint °C | ASTM D92 | °C | 250 min |
| Solubility in CS2(wt) % | ASTM D4 | wt % | 99.5 min |
| Spot test | A.A.S.H.O.T102 | Negative |
Bitumen 40/50
| Bitumen 40/50 | Test method | Unit | Specification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Specific gravity @ 25°c | ASTM D70 | Kg/cm3 | 1.01/1.06 |
| Penetration @ 25°c | ASTM D5 | mm/10 | 40/50 |
| Softening point °c | ASTM D36 | °C | 52/60 |
| Ductility @25 °c | ASTM D113 | cm | 100 min |
| Loss on heating(wt) % | ASTM D6 | wt % | 0.2 max |
| Drop in penetration after heating % | ASTM D5-D6 | % | 20 max |
| Flash point °c | ASTM D92 | °C | 250 min |
| Solubility is CS2(wt) % | ASTM D4 | wt % | 99.5 min |
| Spot test | A.A.S.H.O.T102 | _____ | Negative |
Bitumen supply in other markets
Alongside our work as a bitumen supplier in Nigeria, we ship penetration, oxidized, cutback and emulsion grades across Africa, Southeast Asia, Central Asia and South America. See the global bitumen supply guide for country-level detail, or compare grades on our penetration grade bitumen page.
Order bitumen for Nigeria
Send us the grade, quantity, packing and project location — not just the port — and we will come back with a firm price, a production schedule and the documentation list for clearance. If the honest answer is that a domestic source serves you better on that particular order, a bitumen supplier in Nigeria worth working with will say so, and we will.
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