AI agents for business finance: what they can and can't do
What AI agents can do in bookkeeping, close, collections and compliance today, where a person must stay in charge, and how to judge a product.
The short answer
Buying materials yourself means paying a supplier's business account against a written quote, then having someone you trust count the delivery on site against the delivery note and photograph it. Check prices against recent market reports, such as BusinessDay's September 2025 figure of about ₦10,000 for a 50kg bag of cement, then confirm the current price with two or three suppliers.
Many people building in Nigeria from abroad decide to buy the materials themselves and pay the builder for labour only. It can save money and removes one place where costs inflate. It also moves the work of checking prices, deliveries and quality onto you. Here are the main ways to do it and how to protect each payment.
Three ways to buy
| Option | How it works | Main risk |
|---|---|---|
| Pay the supplier directly | Get a quote from a depot or dealer, pay its business account, it delivers to site | Fake or changed account details; short delivery |
| Give a trusted person a budget | A relative or site supervisor buys and sends receipts | Prices and quantities hard to check |
| Contractor supplies (labour and materials) | Builder buys everything and bills you | Mark-ups and substitutions |
Paying suppliers directly gives you the most control. It works best for the big, standard items: cement, reinforcement rods, blocks, sand and granite, roofing sheets.
Checking prices from abroad
Material prices in Nigeria move with exchange rates and fuel costs, so always get a current quote. As a reference point, BusinessDay reported in September 2025 that cement had averaged around ₦10,000 per 50kg bag since the first half of 2025, with Dangote at ₦10,200 and Lafarge at ₦10,000 in parts of Lagos, 12mm rods at ₦9,500 per length for local and ₦12,500 for imported, sand at ₦50,000 a ton and granite at ₦60,000 a ton. These are dated figures; ask two or three suppliers near your site for today's prices and delivery charges.
Worked example
Example only, using the September 2025 reference prices: 300 bags of cement at ₦10,000 is ₦3,000,000; 200 lengths of local 12mm rod at ₦9,500 is ₦1,900,000; 20 tons of sharp sand at ₦50,000 is ₦1,000,000. That is ₦5,900,000 before delivery. A quote far above that for the same items, at the same time, deserves a question.
Paying a supplier safely
- Ask for a written quote or proforma invoice on the supplier's letterhead with its business name, address, phone and account details.
- Check that the account name matches the business name. A personal account for a company is a warning sign.
- Call the supplier on a number you found yourself, not one in the invoice, to confirm the account before the first payment.
- Treat any message saying the account has changed as suspect until you confirm it by phone with someone you have dealt with.
- Pay, and send the proof of payment with the invoice number so the supplier can match it.
The habit of an independent callback before paying, recommended in Ownkey's 2026 guide to checking professionals from abroad, applies to suppliers too. For the business version of this fraud, see supplier changed bank details.
Checking the delivery
- Ask the supplier for a delivery note or waybill listing items and quantities.
- Have someone on site count bags, lengths or loads before the truck leaves, and sign the note.
- Ask for photos or a short video of the delivery with the note visible, and of the materials stored.
- Check brands and sizes: a 12mm rod order should not arrive as 10mm.
- Store cement off the ground and covered; damp cement is wasted money.
Buying in bulk or in batches
Buying everything at once can lock in a price, but it also means storing materials on site for months, where cement can harden and rods can rust or go missing. Buying in batches, tied to each stage of work, keeps less money exposed and lets you check each batch against what was used. A common compromise is to buy steel and roofing materials when the price is good and the site is secure, and to buy cement close to when it will be used. Whatever you choose, agree with the supplier in writing whether a quoted price holds if delivery is later, and who pays if a delivery is short or damaged.
Keep a materials log
A simple spreadsheet with date, supplier, items, quantity, price, amount paid, delivery note number and who received it turns a pile of receipts into a record you can check against progress. If a quantity surveyor is on the job, the log lets them reconcile materials against work done; see using a quantity surveyor. Permit stages, such as the stage certification at foundation, damp-proof course, lintel and roofing described in Ownkey's Lagos permits guide, are also natural points to check materials used against materials bought.
Where Pryme fits
Pay each supplier's business account directly: with a Pryme account you hold naira next to your local currency and send from it; the app shows the rate and the fee, and the recipient's name, before you approve. A verifiable receipt for each payment goes straight into your materials log. See also site reports for a house built from abroad.
Questions people ask
How much is a bag of cement in Nigeria?
BusinessDay reported an average of around ₦10,000 per 50kg bag in September 2025. Prices change, so ask suppliers near your site for a current quote.
Is it cheaper to buy building materials myself?
It can be, because it removes mark-ups, but you then need someone on site to count deliveries and check brands and sizes.
How do I avoid fake supplier accounts?
Pay only an account in the business's name, confirm it by calling a number you found yourself, and treat any change of account as suspect.
What should a delivery note show?
Supplier name, date, items, sizes or brands, quantities and a signature from whoever received the goods on site.
Sources
- BusinessDay: Cement, iron rod prices remain high despite inflation decline (28 Sep 2025) · accessed Oct 2026
- Ownkey: How to verify a lawyer in Nigeria is legitimate from abroad (8 Aug 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
- Ownkey: Nigeria building permits guide 2026 (21 Jul 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
This article is general information, not financial, legal or tax advice. Products described are provided under the terms on this site and are subject to regulation and eligibility.