500+ Lucrative Business Ideas To Start In Nigeria and Make Money 2024

In this article, we will be listing over 100 top business ideas to make money in Nigeria. A lot of people all over the world are always searching for various ways or side hustles to generate extra or full time income.

top ways to make money in Nigeria


We had to research on various ways, hustles, businesses and side jobs that will be able to generate extra or full time income here in Nigeria.


All the ways of making money listed in this post can be done with little or no capital as long as the necessary knowledge is acquired.


In the present century, most of the people earning billions and millions of dollars are online entrepreneurs, so we will really emphasize on online business because that is where money can be made from easily.


Don't misunderstand me, I am not saying that online businesses are easy and without risk, just like other forms of business, you also need to work very hard to succeed online.


Also, almost all offline businesses can be grown into super successful ventures by harnessing the power of the Internet especially the social media.


So below is a comprehensive list of various businesses and side hustles you can start today to make extra or full time income in Nigeria.

Business Ideas In Nigeria

  • Multilevel Marketing(MLM)
Multilevel marketing is one if the best ways to make money in Nigeria. There are people earning over 20 million naira per year from mlm businesses.
  • Forex trading
Forex trading is a very good way of making money. Even though it involves a very high risk, it actually worth it.

There are many people that have become millionaires trading forex, some people make money by helping other people trade forex.

Before you go into forex business you must go through months of training so that you will have enough knowledge to face the task.

Without sufficient training you will loose your money instead of making more money.

Check the internet for good forex education resources for a start.
  • Stocks trading
Just like forex trading, stock trading is a way of making money by investing your money in company stocks and shares.

In Nigeria, we trade stocks on through the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE).

There are many companies that have have their stocks on the Nigerian Stock Exchange in which you can trade.

All you need to do is to get a good and trusted stock broker that will be helping you trade the stocks.

You can make a profit of about 40% of your initial investment if you trade right.
  • Snail rearing
Snail farming is one of the best business that can make you a millionaire in Nigeria. In snail business you don't need much start up capital.

Infact you don't even need a capital to start the business. All you need to do is to get snails and make a small place place in your compound where you will keep them.

You don't need to spend money buying food for snails unlike other livestocks.

Snails eat everything man eat and they eat leaves too. So you can feed snails with anything.

If this business is done well you can earn over 10 million naira a year from it.
  • Chicken Feeds Business
Making feeds for poultry is a very good business. As there is a boom in poultry business in the country there will certainly be a high demand for poultry feeds too.

Even though the business is capital intensive, it is really lucrative and you will make a lot of money from it.
  • Bar soap making
There is no household in Nigeria that does not use bar soap every single day in the country either for laundry, dish washing or house cleaning etc.

This means that bar soap will always be on demand every day which makes it a very lucrative business.

To succeed in this business and beat the competition because there are a lot of bar soap produces in the country you need to know how to package it very well.

The packaging will make your product to stand out.
  • Blogging
Blogging is one of the most popular online business around the world and even here in Nigeria.

Every day new blogs are being created and also bloggers are also giving up.

The truth is that blogging business is one of the hardest business in the country.

The niche is already saturated because there are thousands of bloggers in almost every niche.

But is blogging still profitable for people who want to go into now? Yes, blogging is still very profitable if someone is very creative, hardworking and also patient.

To succeed as a blogger now you have to blog about what nobody is already blogging about.

Forget about education, entertainment, news, money making blogs. These niches are super saturated and to make money from such niches you will have to work super hard and it might take years for you to start seeing the results you want.

So before starting a blog, make a lot of research about what people usually search for that people are not blogging about already, if you want to enter a niche that is already saturated then be will to work hard and also persevere to the end.

There are many bloggers in Nigeria earning over 1 million naira a month and there are also many bloggers in Nigeria not earning anything at all.

Learn a lot about blogging before you start it if you want to succeed in it.
  • Information marketing
Information marketing business is a simple business that can fetch you millions in a month or even a week.

So what exactly is information marketing business and how is it done?

Information marketing business is a business which involves selling of information to people.

It can be done offline and online.

Let's take for instance you are looking for tips on how to start a any business e.g poultry business, you will come across several ebooks online on how to start and manage a successful poultry business.

That is information marketing business. There are many topics you can sell information about, such topics include how to make money, starting a business, how to burn fat, how to grow muscles, diet tips, education and many more.

In information marketing business, you must have seen a target market before you create an information to sell to the market.

Information products can be sold online and offline though the online medium is the best because you can reach out to thousands of people from the comfort of your home.

So think about people that need a particular information then design the information and sell it to them and earn your cool cash doing that.
  • Affiliate marketing
Affiliate marketing is one of the most used terms when it comes to making money online.

In affiliate marketing, you don't need to create any product, all you need to do is to promote other people's products and make money doing so.

The most popular affiliate program in Nigeria is jumia affiliate program.

All you need to do is to register as an affiliate, when you do so you will be given a link, you will be given commission anytime anybody buys something from Jumia using your affiliate link.

There are many other affiliate sites that you can use to make a lot of money, such sites include clickbank, jvzoo, konga, bluehost etc.
  • Phone repairing
Phone repairing is the skill that will always fetch money any time any day.

There are more than 80 million phone users in Nigeria and at some point majority of these phone users usually need the assistance of a phone specialist.

You might not see it as a lucrative way of making money but I just want to tell you today that phone repairing business is a very lucrative business.

There are two South Africans entrepreneurs who became multi millionaires repairing mobile devices.

The grew their business to the extent that they became the number one mobile repairers in South Africa.

So if you really like mobile devices or you have interest in that line of business you can actually start a phone repairing business and start making money.
  • Computer repairing
Just like mobile repairing business, computer repairing is also very lucrative.

You might not only be repairing computers, you can also be installing computer softwares, diagnosis and removal of computer viruses etc.

Having a computer repair and diagnosis business is one of the business that can bring you good money in Nigeria.
  • Computer services
Starting a computer center is also a good business idea to start in Nigeria. Computer services include typing, photocopying, internet surfing etc.

It might be capital intensive to start but as time goes you will be able to recover your money.
  • Typing services
Typical services is a branch of computer services but this one only involves typing.

You will type all kinds of documents etc. This kind of business is really lucrative if someone stays around school area or a higher institution.
  • Recharge card selling
Even in this digital age recharge card business is still lucrative. It might not be as lucrative as before but it sure brings in some good profits.

Recharge card selling does not only involve buying and selling of recharge cards it also includes printing recharge cards and selling in bulk to retailers
  • Cooking service
Are you a good cook or do you love cooking? If yes then you can start a very profitable business.

This business involves just cooking for people.

In Nigeria we have a population of working people who are single and do not have time to cook, you can be their cook and also be making money on the side.

You can also be paid to cook for events such as wedding, burial, birthdays etc.
  • Dating service
There is nobody that have not dated or does not want to date. A lot of people actually have problem finding dates, you can harness this opportunity by hooking people up and making good money from it.
  • Beads making
Beads fashion accessories is becoming increasingly popular among Nigerians. Starting a beads making business as a side business in Nigeria will certainly bring in money.

There are many fashion accessories that can be made from beads, these include necklace, hand beads, hand bags, waist beads etc.

All you need to do is to learn how to make products using beads, after learning start making beads products.

This business can bring you much money if you do it well. Infact there are people who do this as a full time business here in Nigeria.
  • Plantain chips production
Plantation chips business is one of the best snacks business to start in Nigeria and make money.

There is money in the business no matter how you do it. If you stay in populated states like Lagos State you will understand better.

The business will involve startup capital because of the cost involved in getting the plantain.

After that you will just be pulling in your profits.

You have to do the business well in order to get the desired profits.
  • Paid researcher
Do you have a passion for research or researching on any gift topic or subject then you can make good money doing that.

There are organizations, companies and firms in Nigeria that pay people just to research for them.

Contact such organizations and join their research team.

Some organization pay over 100,000 naira for just a single research you carryout.
  • House agent
House agents make a lot of money here in Nigeria. A lot of house agents are millionaires.

To become a house agent you will have to work very hard.

You will have to go around outsourcing for apartments and houses from landlords or estate agents.

You can make as much as 50,000 per house if you do it well.

One of the advantages of starting a house agent business is that you don't even need a start up capital to start.
  • Laundry services
Laundry business is a very profitable business if done well, although it is capital intensive, it's worth it. The success of a laundry business heavily depends on the location. Location really matters, starting a laundry business in cities, market area or in students environment can really make the business make a lot money.

You have to have a great business plan before setting up a laundry business, this will make it easy and more efficient.

Marketing is also necessary for the success of the business. I any economy, laundry business is a very profitable business.
  • House cleaning services
House cleaning business is almost like laundry business but it requires less capital. In house cleaning business, you won't have to rent a shop and also buy machines as in the case of laundry business, all you will need in house cleaning business is just your cleaning materials and good marketing.
  • Cake making
Cake making is a profitable small business. There are many events in Nigeria that usually require cakes, supplying cakes and cookies can make you good money.
  • Mini bakery
As the name implies, mini bakery is a small bakery business. You can make from it baking bread in small scale and supplying it to your area. It's one of the business you can start in Nigeria with little capital.
  • Event planner
Event planners make good money, all you need is good marketing and connections then you can make good money with this small business. Infact it's a full time job for a lot of people.
  • Internet marketing
Internet marketing is simply just selling things over the internet. It can be a product or service. You have to undergo training to be very good at internet marketing. It is one of the best online business to start in Nigeria.
  • SEO services
SEO means search engine optimization. A lot of websites usually need people that are very good in SEO to help them rank their website on google in other to get more traffic which will result in more sales. This is a very good business idea to can bring you a lot of money and as long as you have a laptop or goog mobile phone then won't require any capital again.
  • Admissions agent
You can become an admissions agent for universities abroad. They will pay you for each student you refer and bring to their university. This business can make you a millionaire so fast. Just send a request to schools abroad, tell them you will be bringing students for them and they will be glad and willing to pay.
  • Car wash
Car was business is a profitable business if done in urban areas especially areas with a lot of commercial vehicles. The business is somehow capital intensive but it is worth it. You will need to get a good space, water supply and some workers.
  • Tutoring lessons
Tutorials is a good business idea for students although anybody can do it. Most times it does not require any capital as it can be done in your residential home or you can go to the home of the pupils or students you want to tutor.
  • Freelancing
Freelancing is a very good business idea for Nigerians. The exciting thing is that people all over the world can hire you for your services. All you need to do is to learn a profitable digital skill then auction your skills on freelancing sites. It just requires a computer with internet connection.
  • Building websites
Building of websites is a very good way to make money in Nigeria. There are a lot of new businesses, schools, events etc and all need a website to grow, offering services of building different kinds of websites is a very good business and all you need is just a computer with internet connection. You can make as much as 30,000 naira building one website, just imagine building over 10 websites per month.
  • Flipping websites
Flipping websites is also a good way of making money. You don't need to build a website yourself as a flipper, all you will need to do is to buy already existing websites for a low price and resell them at a higher price.
  • Mobile games programming
Mobile games programming is a business that can change your life. It's a full time way to earn a living. Many Nigerians developing android and iphone games are multimillionaires. To enter the mobile games market, you need to learn how to program and design mobile games, the learning aspect is the only part that will take your time and money after that you will be able to earn a lot of money designing and building mobile games.
  • Making youtube videos
Making YouTube videos is one of the online business that can make you very rich within a short time. There are a lot of Nigerian YouTubers who a making it really big. Just select a good niche and start making high quality videos.
  • Card making
You can make money making and selling different cards such as brithday cards, wedding and anniversary cards.
  • Make-up artist
Make up business is a booming business as a lot of ladies always want to maintain their beauty all the time. Starting a make-up business is a good option especially for ladies.
  • Writing and selling story books
If you are good in writing you can start writing and publishing short stories on different genres. You can sell the story books both online and offline
  • Export agent
You don't have to own products to start an export business here in Nigeria, you can act as an agent by helping people export their products. You can make a lot of money from this if done well.
  • Chalk making
There are still some secondary and primary schools that still use chalk and a blackboard as a medium of teaching till now, you can start a chalk making business and sell them to such schools.

  • Selling Watches
SelIing watches is a good business that can be done at home. Example is Tesmawatch a luxury online watch plug in Nigeria.
  • Cosmetic sales
Cosmetics business is a business that can never go down. No matter what, cosmetics business can never go down. It will always yield good profit anytime.
  • Directory publisher
This is a web based business in which you will a lot business get published on online directories to increase the exposure and boost sales.
  • School dropping and picking service
If you stay in busy and urban areas like Abuja and Lagos, you can start a school dropping and picking business in which you will help busy parents drop and pick their children from school.
  • Home business center
If you live in a city and you have space in your home, you can use it as a home business center whereby people will rent them daily, monthly or weekly for business purposes.
  • Making and selling youghurt
Yoghurt business is a business that has been making money and will continue to be yielding good profit. It is better to start this business in towns and cities with high number of primary and secondary schools.
  • Making and selling chilled zobo drink
Making and selling zobo drinks is also a good business, you can make it and sell it not only to final consumers but also to shops and restaurants.
  • Day care center
Daycare center business is a very profitable business. Although the start up capital is somehow high but it's worth it.
  • Football viewing center
Football viewing center is a very profitable business, it is capital intensive but you can earn back your capital in a couple of months. Location matters a lot in a football viewing business.
  • Holiday camp
If you have an idea about holiday travel and picnics you can start a holiday camp business in which you will be planning and organizing holiday camps for families, schools and groups.
  • Excursion services
Same as holiday camping business, excursion services is also a good business in which you will helps schools and groups plan excursions.
  • SmS marketing
Sms marketing business is a good home based business, you can provide bulk sms sending services using this business
  • Selling Business plan
A lot of people that want to start a business don't like going through the stress of writing a business plan, you business will be to help them prepare a business plan or sell an already prepared business plan for their desired business.
  • Writing press release
Writing a press release for different businesses is a good way to make money as many new businesses try to market their products and services through press release.
  • Tour guide
As a tour guide you can make a lot of money, you can make this a side business or a full time job. Your job is to help people tour around different tourist sites and you must have good knowledge about the location.
  • Travel agent
Travel agencies is one of the most popular business in the country. You too can start a travel agency and make money helping people to get visas, book hotels and also travel abroad.
  • Technical writer
If you have passion for writing, you can setup an online technical writing business in which you will be writing articles on technical topics.
  • Teaching
You can start a part-time teaching business. All you need to do is to select a topic you are a master in and fix tutorial dates for those topics. People will pay to participate in the tutorials.
  • Song writer
A lot of artists don't know how to write songs, if you are a good song writer you can make a lot of money by writing songs and selling them to musicians.
  • Self publishing
If you have passion for writing, why not start writing short or long stories and publishing them on online platforms. This is a very good business idea and you can even make it a full time business.
  • Self improvement services
You can start a motivational business, where you can be selling motivational books, videos and trainings.
  • Selling pets
Everybody loves pets then why not start a pet selling business? This will certainly be a profitable business especially in urban areas
  • Selling pet product
If you can't sell pets then sell pet grooming products. It is also profitable.
  • Resume writting
A lot of job seekers don't know how to write resumes, you can harness this opportunity and start a resume writing business and make a lot of money from it.
  • Motivational speaker
Most times to make it we all need to be motivated, that is why a lot of motivational make a lot of money motivating people.
  • Paint making
As the population of Nigeria grows, a lot of houses are built and those houses need to be painted. So paint making business is a business that will always be profitable no matter what
  • Nanny services
As a lady you can start a nanny service where busy parents will hire you to take care of their kids. This is a very profitable business and it comes with many side benefits.
  • Music lessons
Are you good in any area of music such as playing instruments, composing songs etc. Then you can make money by starting your own music lessons
  • Market research
To start any business successfully a market research must be done, most people don't know how to conduct a good market research, you can make good money by helping people conduct market research.
  • Mailing list service
Mailing list is a major determinant of an email marketing campaign. Most businesses don't know how to get mailing list, you can make money selling or helping people get mailing list for their businesses.
  • Foreign language teacher
You can make money teaching French to people who want to learn French.
  • Interpreter
Both online and offline interpreting business is very lucrative.
  • Information marketing
One of the best online businesses that can make you a lot of money overnight. Go online and search for articles on how to start a successful information marketing business. You need to know this business well in order to make good money from it.
  • Food delivery service
If you have a motorcycle or car, you can start a food delivery business for different restaurants and you can make good money from that.
  • Ghost writer
Ghost writers make a lot of money writing articles for different blogs and journals online.
  • Photographer
Get a good camera and make money as a photographer.
  • Beautician
Makeup stylist is a good business idea as a lot of girls and ladies always want to look beautiful.
  • Hair stylist
Hair stylist always make money everyday as girls make their hairs often. The success of this business also depends on the location.
  • Facialist
As a facialist you can make money treating different face conditions such as pimples etc.
  • Ezine publishing
Ezine is an online publishing site, you can make money publishing articles there.
  • Fruit selling
Selling fresh fruits to different supermarkets and stores is a very good and profiting business idea.
  • Employment agency
You can start an employment agency in which you will help people secure jobs. You have to be well updated to succeed in this business.
  • Email marketing
Email marketing business is profitable when you know how to do it well. In this business you help businesses and companies market their products and services through email marketing.
  • Editor
As an editor you help writers edit their work and also search and correct errors.
  • Web designer
Millions of websites are built everyday, tap into this niche to get the profits.
  • Graphic designer
Graphic designers can never run out of business, even though there is a lot of competition out there, you can still make it.
  • Dance instructors
Make money by becoming a dancing instructor or start a dancing school.
  • Computer teacher

You can start a computer training centre. Using a computer is now an essential skill in todays world and people are ready to pay for the training.

  • Carpet cleaning

There are a lot of households and offices that use carpets. You can make money offering carpet cleaning services.

  • Aerobics instructor
  • Business broker
  • Exercise instructor
  • Weight loss classes
  • ATM machine repairer
  • Exercise book making
  • Poultry
  • Fish rearing
  • Bonds and Treasury Bills
  • Turkey business
  • Cool room
  • Iceblock making
  • Nylon making
  • Travel agent
  • Mini importation
  • Fashion designing
  • Selling stag beetle
  • Livestock feed production
  • Advertising agency
  • Study abroad agent
  • Freelance writer
  • Bee farming
  • Waste recycling
  • Cooking gas business

Updated on November 25