List Of Reliable Small Businesses For Nigerian Graduates (2024)

Are you are graduate and still seeking employment in Nigeria? Look no further because, in this post, you will be seeing a detailed list of reliable businesses for Nigerian graduate. If you can read attentively from start to finish, you will have a mountain top insight of the best business ideas for Nigeria you.

Why You Should Start A Business Even As A Graduate In Nigeria

Unemployment is an imposed branch of the Nigerian economy. It is a serious issue in Nigeria since the government happens to the largest employer of labor in the Nation. These are the best reasons to start a business in Nigeria.

With these business ideas for Nigerian graduates, you have the opportunity to get out of the list of unemployed graduate and become a literate established businessman.

A recent study by Guardian has been able to prove that less than 45% of Nigerian graduates are currently employed, another 33% are business owners and the rest are unemployed, pending, job seeker and everything in between.

At the writing this article, Nigerian Graduates are undergoing a compulsory 1-year enlightenment program called “NYSC“, a body established to enlighten graduate and equip them with necessary skills and tools needed to earn a living because of the low employment rate in the nation.

This is thereby increasing the number in an already existing unemployment graduate in the country, graduate every year and also.

It gives you a chance to put your skills and IQ to test. As a graduate, you can see features that most business owners fail to see. If you can see a problem in your society and meet the demand created by these needs.

A graduate has been modeled by years of academic training to be able to naturally perform market research and analysis.

This is one point you have over other business owners. If you can leverage this opportunity, you can turn your idea into a commercial/industrial activity that you can use to earn money starting a business as a graduate in Nigerian allows you to determine your income, retirement and company size. You don’t have to be told when to leave, or what you have to do and not. You are the law and body responsible for keeping it all together.

Finally, Nigeria is the economic hub of Africa and a hotspot for most entrepreneurs and investors, you will have no trouble financing your business if you use the right means.

You also have the potential to deliver your goods/services to over 200 Million potential customers in Nigeria, depending on your size and capacity. So, that you’re ready here is a list of business for Nigerian graduates.

List Of Reliable Businesses For Nigerian Graduates

Property Flipping

Property flipping involves the act of purchasing a revenue-generating asset mostly lands or building, and then quickly reselling it for profit. Though flipping can apply to any asset, the term is most often applied to real estate and public offerings. You can buy cheap land in Lagos and resell it for a greater value.

This business holds a massive income potential not just to graduate but any interested individual. You simply purchase a land, wait for the price to appreciate and then sell it with interest. As I said, it holds a Massive Profit Potential and can generate over 500% ROI every year. If you do not have the capital to purchase land, you can start as a housing agent and grow your bank to purchase your land.

Agriculture

There are several investment opportunities for graduates and undergraduates in this niche. From food production to the herb, local medicines, egg or milk, meat production, feather, cowhide & skin, dung for manure or fish feed, animals for research, food and much more. This article would not be enough to cover the beauty of this business. Agriculture holds the biggest income potential for any graduate willing to invest.

Exporting

Nigeria is naturally endowed with a metric tonne of food and mineral resources. These resources are raw materials needed for the production in countries like India, Vietnam, China, Taiwan, USA, UK, Brazil, and so on. These countries have a high demand for certain products but we lack the supply.

You can easily become an exporter registering with the Nigerian Export Promotion Council to begin your career as an international trader. We lack refineries to make certain finished goods but we are rich in natural organic product, which other countries lack.

Examples of Agro-products with high demand both inside and outside Nigeria are Chili pepper, Mango, Yam, Ugu leaves, Red palm oil, Kola nuts(pharmaceutical purposes), Bitter Kola, Cassava, Cocoa, Groundnut, Yam flour, Nuts, etc. This is one business no Nigerian graduate should miss.

Digital Marketing

Digital marketing is simply acting/process of marketing of products or services using digital technologies, mainly on the Internet, mobile phones, display advertising, and any other digital medium. With this form of marketing, you can sell any product to anyone, anywhere.

Food Processing

Another profitable industry open for Nigerian graduate to consider investing in is the food processing industry. The idea behind this business is simply to take Agro products and turn them into finished products. This business is just right for you.

You should also know, that there are a tons of businesses you can do in this niche, such businesses include Frozen food production, Tomato puree production, rice milling, corn processing, yogurt production, Vegetable oil production, flour production, Garri Processing, oil palm processing, groundnut processing, Fruit juice production, etc and every one of them is very profitable.

Manufacturing

This is another profitable business venture that I think graduate should invest in. Nigerian graduates can also invest in small scale manufacturing of goods and other products that are in high demand or required to meet daily needs.

You don’t need to build a factory or industrial plant. You can start this business on a small scale from your room or basement in a rented apartment. Products you can start manufacturing on a small scale include Match sticks, Nylons, polythene, paper bags, Toothpicks, Tissue paper & Serviette, chalk, candlesticks, cartons, etc.

Freelancing

There are tons of sites are looking for proofreaders, content editors, Media publishing, freelancers and article writers. As a Nigerian graduate, you can easily become a freelancer and offer your service for sale. Like the internet, a change, so also is the way things works.

You can visit sites like Fiverr, Upwork, Elance, Freelancer, forums, and other social media networks to create an account and let the world see your services and ability.

If you are following current online trends, you will notice that most jobs in the United States of America are now being outsourced to countries like Philippines, India, China, and a certain segment of Africa and one of such jobs is Article Writing or Ghostwriting.

As a Nigerian Graduate, you can choose to write from home as a freelancer or you can set up a company and build a team of competent writers ready for hire. This business is super easy setup and it is very very profitable.

Hotels, Bars and Clubs

You were probably exposed to a lot of parties in school. You can take ideas from one or two and put it into use. If setting up a hotel is too expensive for your budget, then you can consider investing in a bar, night club or a fast food joint.

A lot of youths and young adults in Nigeria are out at night looking for fun nightlife in their neighborhood. If you are interested in investing in the industry, then you should consider setting up your hotel, night club, or bar.

This business is very profitable to any graduate that invests in any of them. If your establishment can attract tourists and citizens who are looking for an active nightlife joint especially in states like Lagos, Abuja, Jos, Port Harcourt, and Calabar.

Laundry

Laundry and dry cleaning in Nigeria is another popular business for graduates in Nigeria. This business has seen a fair increase in popularity because of the increase in the need & demand for efficient and reliable laundry and dry cleaning services.

Working-class citizens prefer to use laundry and dry cleaning than to use their spare time to do it by themselves. Most dry cleaning heavy washing machine to run their laundry business. You simply need detergent, buckets, and robs for sun drying the clothes and you’re all set to go.

You also need to work with your neighborhood friends/associates and broadcast about the news about your new business and also build a good relationship with your clients. Strive to deliver your their clothes within the agreed time frame to build confidence and encourage them to return.

Importation/Drop Shipping Business/ Courier Services

As a graduate, you can start making money importing products that are under $1, then sell those goods/products for N600 to N1,500. You should concentrate on product less than $1 because these products usually are hot products, cheap and have low VAT charges.

You just need a starting capital of N50,000 to N300,000 to start your importation business and also added services like Courier or drop shipping for extra cash. This allows you to deliver your goods to your customer’s house or dropped at your nearest office.

There are so many places you can buy a product for less than $1. Just do searches on Google, you will find one.

But before buying & importing any product from the oversees, you have to find out and ensure that the product listed as contraband or blacklisted in Nigeria else your goods/product will be confiscated when it arrives by the customs service.

Wrapping Up

These are my 9 best business ideas for Nigeria graduates. These businesses have been picked because it has the lowest manageable risk attached to it, requires little capital and have huge income potential.