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The short answer
An event quote is built from the bottom up: list every line item with a real vendor price, add a contingency for price changes and extras, then add your fee, either as a fixed planning fee or as a margin on costs, and finally any VAT you are required to charge. State the guest count, date and assumptions in the quote, because most budget arguments come from changes the quote never priced.
Start from the brief, not the price
Clients often ask 'how much for a wedding for 300?' The honest answer depends on a dozen choices they have not made yet. Before quoting, pin down the date, venue type, guest count, the hours of the event, the level of catering, décor style and any entertainment. Write these down; they become the assumptions in your quote.
The line items
Group costs so the client can see where the money goes. A typical structure:
| Group | Typical lines |
|---|---|
| Venue | Hall hire, security, cleaning, generator and fuel, power backup |
| Food and drink | Catering per head, small chops, drinks, cake, service staff |
| Décor and setup | Centrepieces, stage, backdrop, lighting, tables and chairs, linens, tents |
| Entertainment and media | DJ or band, MC, photography, video, live streaming |
| Logistics | Transport, ushers, guest management, souvenirs, printing |
| Planning | Your planning and coordination fee |
Get written prices from vendors for each line, dated. Prices quoted months ahead can move, especially for food, drinks and fuel. The NBS reported food inflation of 19.59% year on year for September 2026 (as reported by Voice of Nigeria), so a catering price agreed today may not hold in six months unless the vendor fixes it in writing.
Contingency
Add a contingency line for price rises and small extras the client will ask for. Whether you show it to the client or hold it inside the line items is a choice, but showing it is easier to defend. Say in the quote what happens to unused contingency (refunded, or applied to extras) and that larger changes need a revised quote.
Your fee: flat fee or margin?
- Flat planning fee. A fixed amount for your work, with vendor costs passed through at cost. Transparent and easy to explain; your income does not grow if the client upgrades.
- Percentage of the budget. Your fee is a percentage of total vendor costs. It scales with the event's size, but clients may suspect you of pushing costs up.
- Margin on vendor prices. You quote one price per line and keep the difference. Common, but awkward if a client later sees a vendor's own price; if you use it, be clear that prices include coordination.
Whatever model you use, the price you show must not mislead. Section 123 of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2018 prohibits false or misleading representations about price.
VAT and WHT
VAT is 7.5% under the Nigeria Tax Act 2025. Forvis Mazars' March 2026 summary explains that small businesses with turnover of ₦100 million or less and fixed assets of ₦250 million or less are exempt from registering and charging VAT. If you are registered, add VAT to the quote as a separate line and say whether vendor costs are quoted inclusive of their own VAT. Corporate clients may also deduct withholding tax when they pay your invoice; the rate depends on how the service is classified, so ask their finance team early and see why a customer may pay less than the invoice.
Worked example (illustration only)
A 200-guest birthday dinner in Lagos. All prices are examples; the planner charges a flat fee and is VAT-registered.
| Line | Amount |
|---|---|
| Venue hire and security | ₦1,200,000 |
| Catering at ₦12,000 per head × 200 | ₦2,400,000 |
| Drinks | ₦600,000 |
| Décor, lighting and rentals | ₦1,500,000 |
| DJ and MC | ₦500,000 |
| Photography and video | ₦450,000 |
| Ushers, printing and souvenirs | ₦350,000 |
| Vendor subtotal | ₦7,000,000 |
| Contingency at 10% | ₦700,000 |
| Planning fee | ₦1,000,000 |
| Total before VAT | ₦8,700,000 |
| VAT at 7.5% on planning fee only (vendors invoice the client directly) | ₦75,000 |
| Quote total | ₦8,775,000 |
In this example the vendors invoice the client directly, so VAT is charged only on the planner's fee. If the planner buys everything and re-invoices, VAT would apply to the whole amount it supplies, which changes the total; check with your tax adviser which model you operate. The planner's gross income is the ₦1,000,000 fee plus any unused contingency the agreement allows them to keep.
Assumptions to print on every quote
- Date, venue and guest count; extra guests priced per head.
- Event hours; overtime rates for venue and vendors.
- What is included and excluded (for example, 'excludes guest transport').
- How long the quote is valid, since vendor prices move.
- Payment schedule and cancellation terms, linked to our guide to cancellation terms.
Once the quote is accepted, turn the payment schedule into dated invoices; managing deposits and vendor payments shows how.
Where Pryme fits
A Pryme Business Account includes invoicing for turning an accepted quote into staged invoices, and the Sales agent can prepare quote follow-ups for you to approve before they are sent.
Questions people ask
How do I price an event in Nigeria?
List every line item with a dated vendor price, add a contingency, add your fee or margin, then add VAT if you are registered. State the guest count and assumptions in writing.
How much should an event planner charge?
There is no standard rate. Planners charge a flat planning fee, a percentage of the total budget or a margin on vendor prices; choose the model your clients will accept and that covers your time.
Should I add VAT to an event quote?
If you are VAT-registered, yes, at 7.5% as a separate line. Small businesses under the Nigeria Tax Act thresholds are exempt from charging VAT.
How much contingency should an event budget have?
There is no fixed figure; our example uses 10%. Base it on how far ahead you are quoting and how firm vendor prices are, and say in writing what happens to unused contingency.
Sources
- Voice of Nigeria: Nigeria's headline inflation drops to 14.63 per cent (16 Oct 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
- Forvis Mazars: 2025 NTA VAT key business changes (16 Mar 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
- LawGlobalHub: Section 123, Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2018 · 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.