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25 Hottest Profitable Non-Oil Export Products in Nigeria

What are the top hottest non-oil export products in Nigeria for 2013? How do I make money by exporting non oil products? How do you tap into the multi-billion dollar non-oil products export industry? Well, if you have interest in the non-oil export sector of Nigeria, or you are a foreign investor looking for a high yield business opportunity; then read on.

According to statistics by the Chamber of Commerce, the non-oil product export sector is rapidly on the rise. Thanks to the Federal Government’s policy and support for the non-oil industry especially agriculture. Now to make money as a non-oil products exporter in Nigeria, you must first assess your company’s export readiness.

Are you really prepared for the challenges and protocols of exporting? Are you prepared to adhere to strict international standard and client’s specification? These are questions you must answer before venturing into the export business.

Secondly, you must prepare an export marketing plan. To do this, you must research and select your target market. Your plan must also include details that will help you determine the best methods of delivering your product or service to your target market. Next, you need to develop a sound financial plan; and understand the legal aspects involved in international transactions. Now since I have made the above points clear, below are 25 hottest profitable non-oil export products in Nigeria.

25 Hottest Profitable Non-Oil Export Products in Nigeria for 2013

  • Cassava flour

Cassava flour has very close substitute in garri, yam flour, plantain flour etc. This notwithstanding, it is a very popular food item that is easy and fast to prepare. The raw material for this project is cassava tubers. The raw material is available all over the federation. The machinery, accessories and equipment needed to produce good quality cassava flour are cassava peeler, cassava tuber, grinder, sieve, dryer, fermentation tank, sealing /sewing machine and international standard measuring scale. All of the above can be fabricated locally for any capacity required by investors. There is a ready market in Europe, America and Middle East.

  • Cotton

Cotton is the most important natural fiber of the 20th century. The efforts of the Federal Government of Nigeria towards the development of the nation’s cotton sector received a boost recently, as the National Cotton Association of Nigeria (NACOTAN) got a lifeline of N33 million to enable the sector bounce back to life.

  • Snail

Nigerian snails are in high demands in America and Europeans Countries. The only thing the snails may constantly demand from you is your attention and care but they hardly fall sick. You don’t have to buy their food and you may not have to spend much to create an abode for them. The beauty of it all is that the snails reproduce rapidly. They are capable of producing hundreds of eggs, which hatch into snails. It is now possible to produce 1,000,000 snails worth more than N5 million twice a year.

  • Ginger

Ginger is one of the most important articles of trade in the world spice market, where it is found fresh, dehydrated, preserved powdered and other forms. Though, Nigeria is among the World’s largest producers of ginger. Ginger’s flavor and colour vary with its origin and harvesting, storage and processing conditions.

  • Leather and Footwear

Presently the world footwear and leather products sector is moving from high-cost industrialized countries to developing countries and many developing countries (Nigeria inclusive) have strong potentials in this sector regarding raw material and human resources, but have mainly remained suppliers of raw and semi-finished products. The raw materials for leather and its products are mainly from livestock, and Nigeria is endowed with the third largest livestock population in Africa. Raw materials availability has been acknowledged as a basic comparative advantage towards the export of leather and leather products.

  • Palm Kernel Oil

Palm kernel oil (PKO) is extracted from the kernel of palm. It should not be confuse with palm oil, which is obtained from the pulp of fruit of the palm. Palm kernel oil has a light yellow color and it has a milder flavor than palm oil. It is often used in the manufacture of various cosmetic, confectionery and pharmaceutical industries. Palm Kernel Oil Crushing is a viable investment because raw materials can be sourced at ease, the production technology is simple and feasible, and the market for end products are automatic.

  • Palm Kernel Cake

Palm kernel cake (PKC) as a by-product in the milling of palm kernel oil. Palm kernel cake is considered a medium grade protein in feed, containing 14.6% to 16.0% crude protein, useful for fattening cattle either as a single feed, with only minerals and vitamins supplementation or mixed with other feedstuff. It has also become the main ingredient in daily cattle ration. Palm kernel cake is commonly exported, mainly to Europe. It is delivered in bulk via vessel or pack in bags for easier handling and distribution. Lately, it is also used as Biomass fuel in Europe especially United Kingdom to provide heat and energy. The cake is demanded by feed millers and by exporters.

25 Hottest Profitable Non-Oil Export Products in Nigeria for 2013

  • Yam flour

There is no doubt that Nigeria produces yam in abundance. In every state of the country, yam is available. It is estimated that over 30% of the harvested yam tubers are lost as waste, but due to the availability of processing and preservation mechanism it is easy. The machinery and equipment needed to process yam flour are:

  1. Yam peeler
  2. Milling machine
  3. Boiler
  4. Scale
  5. Dryer
  6. Sealing machine
  7. Packing machine

If there is a country that should take this project very seriously, it is Nigeria. It is the world’s largest producer of yams (over six million metric tones) accounting for over 50% of its output. Of this output, only about 5% (300,000 MT) is put into industrial use by way of chips and flour.

  • Textiles and Garments

Nigerians can now tap into the $31bn US Booming Garment Market. When AGOA (African Growth and Opportunity Act) came into effect, many Nigerians saw a window of foreign exchange earning in the textile and garment section of the act and keyed into it. Such Nigerians now earn millions of dollars from garment and textile exports to the US annually. Nigeria’s textiles and apparels have been granted duty-free passage into the United States’ where a large market exists for ethnic African fabrics and designs.

  • Cocoa butter

Like many trees, the cocoa tree produces fruit. Inside this fruit are seeds known as “cocoa beans.” When cocoa beans are crushed and pressed, cocoa butter and cocoa powder are released, both of which are essential to chocolate making. The smooth texture, sweet fragrance and emollient property of cocoa butter make it a popular ingredient in cosmetics and skin care products, such as soaps and lotions. Because of its high stability, cocoa butter is also used in a variety of health and beauty products as well, such as lotions, facial products, cosmetics and pharmaceutical products. This product is in high demand in UK and America.

  • Gum Arabic

Gum Arabic is produced by Acacia trees and occurs within the Sahel Ecological zone of Nigeria. We are currently the third largest exporter of Gum Arabic in Africa, after Sudan and Chad. Its annual exports are estimated at 5,000 metric tons. The highest quality of Gum Arabic—Grade 1—is used in a wide variety of food, beverage, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical products, making the market for this grade of gum quite robust. The Nigerian Gum Arabic season is December to April of the following year and the trading period of the product takes place between January and June of every other year. Newly established National Association of Gum Arabic Producers, Processors and Exporters of Nigeria (NAGAPPEN) chapters in each state have been the vehicle through which informal training has been conducted.

  • Cashew nuts

Cashews are found wild and cultivated in about 14 States in Nigeria but it has potential for cultivation in almost all part of the country. Actual production figure is not available, but is estimated to be around 50,000 tons annually. Over 80 per cent of it is exported raw and unprocessed to India, Vietnam and Brazil, where they are processed into kernels and sold for higher value in Europe and North-America. In recent times, world market price of kernels has stabilized at $1.7 per pound for the benchmark grade – W320. This consumer-friendly price is likely to sustain continued demand for the product, even as new low cost suppliers enter the international market. One cashew tree produces between 200 and 300 cashew nuts in a year.

  • Charcoal

The cry for alternative energy source has put CHARCOAL in the forefront in the global market. A large market exists in EU, USA and ASIA with prices ranging from $700 to $800 per ton, with about 40% return on Investment. This product is virtually available all over Nigeria as many local communities have perfected the technology of charcoal production. Some known charcoal deports are found in places like Oyo, Isheyin, Saki Igbo-Ora, Ogbomosho- all in the western part of the country. We also have depots in Jebba, Omu Aran, Egbe, Kabba in the Central States. Charcoal is found in abundance also in Minna, Jos and Kaduna. Besides, an individual can produce his own charcoal wherever he/she is located.

  • Cosmetics and soap

The technology and art of making soap has been with us for a very long time. It is only the technology that has improved globally, which Nigeria investors can as well imbibe. Cosmetic and soap production, whether laundry or toilet, can be carried out in any part of the country. One can conveniently set up a virile and dependable plant using locally manufactured machinery and equipment. Apart from the big Nigerian market, one can cash in on the high demand from the neighboring countries (whose citizens travel several kilometers to Nigeria to purchase their daily essentials) to embark on export, once the quality is good and price competitive.

  • Gallstone

Gallstone is clay-like solid substance found in the gallbladder of a matured cow or oxen. It is about the size of a peanut and can be as big as a pigeon egg. At times, they could be as big as ordinary eggs and can weigh between 15 and 18 grammes. They are collected by pharmaceutical companies abroad for medical purposes. A good quality gallstone should be dried upon collection of some quantity say 100g, you can then parcel them and send to buyers abroad who then pay with hard currency immediately the parcel is received. Gallstone has a well-established market in Asia and America. The market is guaranteed and can take up as much quantity as supplied without any adverse effect on the price.

25 Hottest Profitable Non-Oil Export Products in Nigeria for 2013

  • Rubber

The Rubber Research Institute of Nigeria (RRIN) has acquired costly equipment to act as a designated Central Testing Laboratory (CTL) in Nigeria. This accreditation would ensure that the Institute examines and certifies rubber produced in Nigeria for export. The reality right now is that the increasing cost of sourcing rubber wood has made companies in Asia and buyers in the U. S. and Europe to search for cheaper sources particularly among rubber producing countries, of which Nigeria is a significant producer. The export market takes first quality rubber wood almost exclusively; a cubit meter of wood goes for between $250 and $350 depending on the quality

  • Shea butter

Shea butter or Shea nut butter is a slightly yellowish or ivory-colored natural fat extracted from fruit of the Shea tree by crushing and boiling. Sometime ago, the former Nigerian First Lady, Hajia Turai Umaru YarAdua invited Japanese Shea Butter experts to set up a factory that will train Nigerian women who have been known to be actively involved in the production of Shea butter in the country. Capitalizing on Shea butter global popularity, Nigeria and Japan will team up to bolster female entrepreneurs in Nigeria and strengthen the country’s economy by increasing production of the nut-based fat. It is hoped that with Japan support and intervention and additional support from government, Shea butter production will witness new heights as a foreign exchange earner for Nigeria.

  • Sesame seed

Sesame seeds (sesamum indicum) belong to the plant family Pedaliaceae. It is an important oilseed crop believed to have originated from tropical Africa. 25% of world sesame seed hecterage is planted in Africa and Nigeria is one of the major producers of sesame seed in Africa. It is found predominantly in Benue and Jigawa States in Northern Nigeria. It is one of the oldest food and cash crop in Nigeria which is produced in 21 states of the Federation. The commodity ranks second to cocoa in terms of volume of export and foreign exchange earnings. Global production in 2005 was put at 2.4 million metric tonnes with China and India as leading producers. Nigeria is the 5th largest producer of the commodity in the world with an estimated production of 120,000 metric tones annually.

  • Garlic

Garlic is usually grown under irrigation by farmers as a cash crop in the Savanna zone of Nigeria, between the months of November and March. In Nigeria, however, reliable production figures are not readily available due to paucity of published information on the production of this crop. Garlic is a product that can earn you foreign dollars in America and EU Countries.

  • Chili Pepper

Nigeria is known to be one of the major producers of pepper in the world. The implication of this is that we have the good weather that can readily support the growth and production of pepper in Nigeria. There are hundreds of different types of chili peppers that vary in size, shape, color, flavor and hotness. This fleshy berry features many seeds inside a potent package that can range from less than one inch to six inches in length, and approximately one-half to one inch in diameter. Chili peppers are usually red or green in color.

  • Pure Honey

Honey is primarily composed of fructose, glucose and water. It also contains other sugars as well trace enzymes, minerals, vitamins and amino acids. Honey is manufactured in one of the world’s most efficient factories, the beehive. Honey is currently priced between US$ 10.00 AND US$12.00 per kilogram at international market. At the Nigerian market, genuine pure natural honey cost between N1000-N1,500 per litre.

  • Poultry

The term poultry is generally used to refer all the domestic birds kept egg or meat purposes. Neighboring West East and Northern Africa Countries also depend on poultry eggs from Nigeria, as the weather for the production of poultry eggs is highly conducive in Nigeria compared to these neighboring countries. Irrespective of the abundant animal feeds, which are readily available, there is also the export potential, which has not been tapped fully. For any person or corporate bodies looking for a project that will generate income on a daily basis, poultry egg production is one of such project.

  • Fruit juice

The Nigerian market provides huge export market opportunities for U.S. exporters of fruit juice concentrate. Nigeria’s fruit juice market has grown 60 percent over the last five years and this growth is due to increasing incomes of Nigerian consumers, an expanding middle class, and greater health-consciousness of consumers. The federal government on the 29th January 2003 announced the total ban of importation of fruit Juice (either in bottled or packaged form). However, investors can import such in big drums or containers as raw materials in their industries, for repacking or rebottling in Nigeria. There are lots of natural fruit in the country namely: Mango, Citrus, Tomato, Paw-paw, guava, Pineapple to mention but a few. These fruits are produced abundantly in almost all states of the Federation and available in all Nigerian markets.

  • Shrimps

Nigeria is one of the tropical countries endowed with rich shrimp resources. With rich organic deposit arising from runoff, the Niger Delta region is the heartland of shrimp and oil production in Nigeria; having a production capacity of 12,000 metric tons (MT) per year. The major markets for the Nigerian shrimp in Europe are Belgium, Portugal, Spain, France and the USA. All are usually packaged in 2.2-kg packets into master cartons.

  • Yam

Nigeria realized N56 billion (US$380 million) from yam exports during 2008 according to figures released by the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC). World production of yam is 51.4 million tonnes per year out of which Nigeria accounts for an average of 36.7 million tonnes, Ghana for 3.6 million tonnes and Cote d’Ivoire for 4.8 million tonnes. There are no specific standards for yam export, but intending exporters must seek information on the quality and phytosanitary regulations of the importing country as well as the product specifications required by the importer

Please remember, preparing for the world of international trade is a complex process. But with the proper knowledge and strategy, you’ll soon be on your way to world wide success.

Business Ideas in Nigeria

Are you a Nigerian entrepreneur or investor? Or you are non-resident in Nigeria but want to start a business in Nigeria? Do you have money but lack startup business ideas? Then read on as I share with you 100+ profitable small business ideas in Nigeria you can start in 2013.

By virtue of being an entrepreneur, investor and blogger; I have meet or discussed with quite a number of people worldwide. And from these interactions, I have been able to pinpoint one of the most crucial business challenge facing entrepreneurs; not just in Nigeria alone but globally. This challenge is simply a question of:

Now to solve the problem of how to find good business opportunities, I wrote an in-depth article about the 15 fastest growing business opportunities in Nigeria. So in this article, I will be sharing with you a list of 100+ profitable small business ideas in Nigeria. However, before I proceed; I want to clearly highlight three critical points.

  • Please bear in mind that you can tap into any of the business listed below either on a small scale, medium scale or large scale. So you should be looking at an investment capital of between N250,000 to N5,000,000 (Naira).
  • You are advised to do your own feasibility study and write your own business plan.
  • This list of business ideas is targeted at Nigerians, or those with interest in investing in Nigeria.

Why You Should Start Your Own Business in Nigeria this 2013

  • Nigeria is a country with a population of over 150million and growing rapidly. This means that there’s a ready market for products that fulfill a need or solves a problem.
  • Nigeria is a rapidly developing country and one of the fastest growing economy in the world. What this means in essence is that there is still a lot of untapped niches and opportunities in virtually every sector.
  • Nigeria is blessed with both mineral and natural resources that are under-exploited.
  • As at the time of writing this article, Nigeria is facing some critical internal problems with respect to security and the rest. But savvy entrepreneurs know that problems are simply opportunities in disguise. Just bear in mind that there’s a lot of money to be made from these problems; if only you will keep an open mind.

Now without wasting your time, let’s get down to business.

 100+ Profitable Small Business Ideas in Nigeria You can Start in 2013

Agricultural and Agro allied sector

  • Poultry farming business
  • Catfish Farming
  • Livestock  farming
  • Livestock feed production
  • Dog breeding business
  • Equipment leasing services
  • Soya beans processing
  • Maize Cultivation and procession
  • Rice Processing (Milling)
  • Cashew production and processing
  • Cassava processing
  • Ethanol production (from cassava)

    Employment Services Sector

  • You can start a resume writing business
  • Career advice and counseling
  • Job placement and recruitment agency

    100+ Profitable Small Business Ideas in Nigeria You can Start in 2013

   Education Sector

  • Start a tutorial centre for exams like JAMB, WAEC, GCE, ICAN, CIS,etc
  • Crèche School
  • Day care centre
  • Start a self defense training school

      100+ Profitable Small Business Ideas in Nigeria You can Start Today

    ICT/ Technology sector

  • Computer repair services
  • Mobile phone repairs
  • Mobile apps development
  • Games development
  • Software development

     Web Based Business Services

  • 20 Profitable Web Based Business Ideas
  • Web design and development
  • Search engine optimization services
  • Search engine marketing services

                Business to Business services

   Green Technology

  • 86 Green business ideas
  • Waste management
  • Waste recycling business
  • Alternative power generating devices installation services

      Security

  • You can start a security guard training school
  • Start a security company
  • Import security gadgets
  • Import non-lethal self defense weapons

How to Make Money Online in Nigeria

Today, I will be sharing with you a simple but powerful strategy on how to make money online in Nigeria. And to make you understand how simple it is to make money online, I will be using StrategicBusinessTeam.com as a case study to show you how I make money blogging. I was prompted to write specifically on this because I receive questions from Nigerians on daily basis asking how they can make money online. Some of the questions I receive frequently are:

  1. a.      How can I make money online?
  2. b.      Is making money online for real or a scam?
  3. c.       What genuine ways can a Nigerian make money online?
  4. d.      How can I start an internet business?
  5. e.       How can I make money with Clickbank.com and Google adsense?

So in this article, I will be teaching you exactly how I make money online in Nigeria and how you too can. All I need from you is to keep an open mind and learn.

    How to Make Money Online in Nigeria by Blogging

Is it Possible for a Nigerian to Make Money Online?

Many Nigerians still believe that the “make money online” or “make money blogging” concept is hype but I stand to dispute that ideology. If you must know; some people in the U.S and other European countries make a full living online. Darren Rowse makes a full living from blogging and Jeremy Shoemaker makes an average of $140,000/month from his network of blogs. Same goes with John Chow. If you have been on the net for maybe a year, I believe you must have heard of Ewen Chia. He is the internet’s No 1 affiliate marketer. He made $1,000,000 in 48Hours from just a single product. He is second only to John Reese, who made this same amount of money in 36Hours. You might say making such amount of money online is possible for these individuals because they reside in countries with thriving economy, so I think I will come home.

Have you heard of NairaLand.com? It is the most popular forum in Nigeria and it rakes in nothing less than $1,000 a day. Now check $1000 X 365 days, that will give us about $365,000 per year. Now convert it to Naira and see for yourself. The owner “Seun Osewa” built and still continues to run that website right from Nigeria. But that is not even the main gist. The main gist is that the owner “Seun Osewa” said he is going to sell NairaLand.com for a non negotiable sum of 25 Billion Naira and that’s the truth, NairaLand.com is worth at least 25 Billion Naira.

Are you still in doubt? Then maybe you have not heard of Lateef Olajide; the Nigerian high school drop out who made $36,000 within a space of 30 days from one single product. The product was an eBook on Dog bite prevention and the worst part of it was that Lateef Olajide didn’t write the eBook; he knows nothing about dogs and he hate dogs. Yet, he made $36,000 from a subject he hates. Can you beat that?

Now the cynics may say that these Nigerians didn’t make their money from blogging but let me tell you this: I am a Nigerian and I make money blogging in Nigeria. This is my business blog so you are free to take a look around and judge from what you see. Am I the only one blogging in Nigeria? My answer is no. Lateef Olajide also owns one of the largest internet marketing blog in Nigeria.

Have you heard of Onibalusi Bamidele? As at the time of writing this, Onibalusi is just seventeen years but he owns one of the fastest growing young entrepreneur’s blog and makes nothing less than $3,000 every month. You can check him out at YoungPrePro. If this seventeen year old Nigerian can do it, then what stops you from blogging in Nigeria? What stops you from making money online with blogs? My answer is nothing. Only your doubts and skepticism can stop you; no one else can.

Why you should start your own blog today

The new trend online is that people are growing tired of sales pitches and less personal marketing techniques. They are tired of ads that scream “Make $1,000 in one hour.” I want to tell you that it’s easier to sell a product to someone you’ve built a relationship with. Blogs are a powerful communication tool that you can use to communicate with friends and family and also to market to other people. Moreover, Google and other search engines love these types of sites! By setting up and marketing your blog, you can stand to make some pretty decent cash and you will instantly become a BIG PLAYER in the Internet marketing world once you build your blog followership or readership.

How to Make Money Online in Nigeria: My personal experience

I have written a lot of articles online with respect to making money online. One of my most popular articles is titled “How to build a successful blog” it’s published on JohnChow.com. Now if you are still in doubt about the possibilities of making money online in Nigeria by Blogging, then I see no reason why you are reading this article. In fact, I was almost tempted to refrain from teaching Nigerians how to make money online because of the high level of self doubts I see. Instead of stopping my teachings and seminars; I started giving away my materials for next to nothing.

Now back to my personal experience, I want you to take a good look at this blog you are on now. I launched this business blog on the 7th of October 2009 to share business development strategies and startup advice with aspiring entrepreneurs and small business owners. But today, this blog puts a lot of dollars in my pocket everyday even while I am asleep.

Take a look at the top of this page and the side bars on your right hand side; you will see banner adverts. Those ads make me money even when asleep and I also pull in some small profits from Amazon.com; the world largest bookstore. But majority of my income comes from GOOGLE. All this took me less than three hours to set up. If you are ready to set up your own money making blog, please read on as I share with you below, my seven step guide to making money online by blogging.

   How to Make Money Online in Nigeria by Blogging

1.            Develop your mindset

This is always the first point I stress whenever I am sharing information that challenges you or requires you to take action. Before ever venturing online to make money or earn a full living, you must first see yourself achieving it. You must believe it is possible and achievable regardless of your region or country; whether United States, U.K, Ghana or Nigeria. You must see blogging in Nigeria and making money online as a possibility; all I am saying in essence is that you must challenge your self doubt and laziness. Ultimately, you must be prepared to leave your comfort zone. After challenging your self doubt, you must set a specific goal or target. What is your expectation online? It might be to make your first $100 or to become an expert in a niche. Whatever goal you set, make sure it is achievable.

2.            Find a niche and choose a topic

 Now what is a Niche? A Niche is simply a small group of people with a common interest. Examples of popular niches are football fans, Students, Teenagers, Sports Betting, Forex Traders, Weight Watchers, Pool, Arsenal Fans, Chelsea Fans, Man U Fans, Singles, Game lovers, Housewives, Nursing Mothers, Careers, Dating, Education, Marriage, making Money and so on.

Therefore Niche blogs are going to be blogs related to different topics that a select group of people are interested in. The reason for this is because there may be a lot of people interested in a particular topic but don’t know where to go to get more information about that topic. That is where you come in; to provide the content they need and in return these visitors will buy products from you or click on your ads to generate a nice income for you. Niche blogging is more powerful because you don’t have to compete with other competitors for the same crowd. Armed with the right knowledge, you can go into a niche and completely dominate. A good rule of thumb in niche blogging is that your niche must be a high paying, low competitive niche.

How to find a high paying, low competitive Niche

The Basics of Keyword Research

The first step is to compile a list of niches you have interest in. Examples are book lovers, students, football fans, basket ball fans, game lovers, photographers and so on. If you are short of niche ideas, you can rush now to the following websites for more ideas and research:

Amazon – www.amazon.com is by far one of the best sites to do your niche market research on. Search any of their department for niche ideas. They have certain sections that tell you exactly what’s selling in their marketplace, some of such sections are:

  • Hot New Releases
  • Most Gifted
  • Most Wished For
  • Movers & Shakers

 EBay Pulse – pulse.ebay.com will give you the breakdown of current trends and cool stuff that is selling on eBay. It also gives you a list of popular searches, largest stores and most watched items

 Google Trends – www.google.com/trends is used to compare certain niches to see if it is the right time of year to launch a blog. This will compare the world’s interest in chosen niche markets.

Traffic Potential – After you’ve identified a few potential niches you want to see if the traffic is there or if people are even searching for information or products in this niche. I usually use Google Keyword Tool – adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal

Next I will enter my main keyword, in this case I found a niche pertaining to “digital slr” which basically is all about digital camera/photography. So enter “digital slr” (without quotes) and it returns a number of keywords I can target. As you can see, this niche is getting a lot of traffic. I normally focus my efforts on keywords getting between 14,000 and 30,000 searches per month and narrow it down from there. Here are the potential keywords that I found:

  • Sigma digital slr
  • Digital slr review
  • Best digital slr camera
  • Digital slr photography
  • Digital slr lenses
  • Best digital slr

I will continue to use this example throughout this article, so you can have a full example of how to research a niche and setup a blog around a certain topic. Is it Profitable? – This is by far the easiest step in niche research to see if there is money in your particular niche. Essentially, there are several ways to monetize a blog and I will be explaining them here in this article. But first, you will want to check the keywords and see what advertisers are paying per click. The keyword cost per click (CPC) has to be at least $1.00; this will let you know that we have businesses paying money for their business/product to get exposure. So I did a search for the 6 keywords I’m targeting to see if they are averaging at least $1 CPC.

As you can see collectively, this set of niche keywords is averaging $1 CPC. Now we want to check to see if there are any related affiliate programs that we can promote. There are two ways we can go about doing this; a Simple Google Search like niche keyword + “affiliate program.”

After searching it returned over 220,000 results or possible affiliate programs that I can promote and make money from. The second way you would find affiliate programs is by simply searching the big affiliate networks where businesses or vendors go to tap into an affiliate program. You can search these networks for your niche to see if there are any good products to promote.

                Commission Junction – www.cj.com

                Shareasale – www.shareasale.com

                Clickbank – www.clickbank.com

How to Start a Niche blog on your personal strengths or skill

Now I will explain how to build a niche blog on your strengths, hobby, talent or personal skill and still make a hell of money from it. Building a niche blog on this model will fit those who love to write and talk about their hobbies. You can make money online by simply by writing or talking about your personal life, hobby or anything else. It is very possible to turn any hobby, talent or skill you possess into a cash machine. But I think it’s worthwhile you know that not all blog niches are inherently profitable because the topic you choose, often determines the future size and profitability of your blog to some extent.

When going this route, it is important to pick a niche that you are genuinely interested in because the natural passion you have for the topic sustains the content creation process and will actually make the whole chore of blogging enjoyable. So the first thing you would do is create a list of topics that interest you. So my own list would be something like this:

  • Making money
  • Reading
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Investing
  • Writing
  • Martial Arts

So I would start with Entrepreneurship and investing, since I love building businesses and investing money. Entrepreneurship is my passion, I love teaching people how to start a business and that’s why I created StrategicBusinessTeam.com. Apart from my passion for entrepreneurship, I also love the game of investing. Now I don’t know what your passion may be but if you want to dive deeper and see if there are sub niches that you can blog about. Do a simple Google blog search http://blogsearch.google.com to see what others are blogging about and see if you can carve a niche out of it. When writing about your passions and interest, it is important to also check the search volume and see the traffic potential so you will not waste your time writing about a topic that doesn’t make you any money.

3.            Join a community related to your niche

The third step to making money online in Nigeria by Blogging is to join a community related to your chosen niche. For instance, if you have researched and discovered that a niche exist for guitar players, all you have to do is join social networks and forum for guitar players. Joining this forum will help you see the problems or needs existing in the niche.

I am a member of several communities related to business, entrepreneurship and investing. These communities bring me closer to my targeted niche. Using these communities as leverage, I can have a sneak preview into the minds of entrepreneurs to know the challenges they are facing currently. When you address the problems of people and offer them a solution, you draw them closer to yourself and make them loyal readers of your blog.

4.            Start your blog

After carrying out your research and identifying one or two communities related to your niche, your next step is to build a blog. But as one of my mentors ‘Steve Pavlina’ advised; don’t just build a blog on your niche. Instead, build a complete website around that niche.

Today, I see some blogs with post summaries interfaced on the home page. Instead of making your home page a summary of your recent articles, make it a static page just like I did with StrategicBusinessTeam.com and link to all other pages and posts. I don’t know if my ideology is right but I think its okay for me. Also, it is my team’s long term strategy to implement a forum on this blog when the traffic rate reaches our target figure. We also have other long term plans for this blog. That’s what I mean by building a complete website around your niche, not just a blog. Building a blog does not require you to be a web savvy or a programmer. With just the simple ability of holding and clicking a mouse, you can install a blog.

5.            Add valuable content to your blog

The primary reason I advised you join a community related to your niche is for the purpose of generating valuable content that will attract readers and turn them to loyalist. There is a saying that goes online that “content is king.” Your content will be considered valuable by readers if it solves a problem or address a certain issue. Content is the main reason why highly niche related blogs command more power than personal blogs. Except you are a celebrity, musical star or an award winning movie star, nobody gives a damn about your personal life. I write this because I see individuals launching blogs in their personal names or domain names like www.JohnxxxMark.com

If you intend to build a professional business blog with a high market value, then you must register a professional domain name that reflects the niche. Examples of professional domain names are ABCMarketing.com, GolfPro.com, BloggingTips.com. A popular internet marketer John Chow once confessed that one of the greatest mistakes he made online was registering his blog in his personal name JohnChow.com and he advised his protégés to avoid this mistake.

Having digressed a little, let’s go back to the importance of providing valuable content on your blog. Your content is your leverage to position yourself as an expert in a niche. Your blog is your gun, content is the bullet. If your content is strong, the impact on your readers will be strong but if it’s weak, the effect on your readers will be like pouring water on a rock. Don’t substitute quality for quantity. Even if you are publishing one article per week, make that article a ‘never to be forgotten‘ article. Write something that readers will love to bookmark or return often to read again and again. What’s the essence of writing or publishing daily articles that are worthless or valueless? There are trillions of content online so yours must be unique to enable it stand out from the crowd.

How to Make Money Online in Nigeria starting from Today

6.   Monetize your blog and Make Money

The next step after building your blog is to monetize it. Monetization of a blog is simply the process of adding a money generating system to your blog. There are several ways you can make money online with a blog and some of them are:

a)            Direct Advertising – This is monetization strategy where you generate income by selling adverts directly on your blog at your own fixed rate.

b)            Third party ads company – these companies will act as third parties by connecting you with blog advertisers. Examples are BlogAds.com and Adbrite.com

c)            Cost per click ads – These are ads displayed on your blogs by third party companies where income is generated on a pay per click basis. Examples of companies that offer pay per click services are Google Adsense and Clicksor.com

d)            Affiliate programs – You can monetize your blog with affiliate programs. Programs that pay you for every referral or sale you generate. You can source for such programs individually or through affiliate networks. Examples of such network are ClickBank.com, Cj.com and ShareASale.com

You can also generate income from your blog by selling links through TextLinkAds.com and InfoLinks.com, or you can sell your own products such as eBooks and software. You may also choose to generate income by selling services or doing product reviews. Whatever income stream you choose, just make sure it blends with your niche or blog theme.

7.   Promote your blog and make money

The last but not the least step is the promotion of your blog. This is the most important step in the process of making money online with blogs. Blog or website promotion is all about generating traffic or visitors to your blog. No matter how beautiful or valuable your content is, if there are no visitors, then your entire blog will be worthless. You are reading this article today because I promoted it using different means. If I did not market this blog, you won’t be here reading this article and if you don’t come to my blog to read my articles, I will not money.

So the end point of this is that your blog traffic or visitors is directly proportional to your income. You must exhaust all marketing avenues to make sure you blog content reaches the targeted audience. You must promote your blog both online and offline. I can’t exhaust the blog marketing or promotion techniques here in this article but I will explain in details maybe in forthcoming articles.

Business Opportunities in Nigeria

What are the best investment opportunities in Nigeria? Are you in search for small business ideas in Nigeria? Then read on as i share with you a detailed list of 15 fastest growing small business opportunities in Nigeria for 2013.

For quite sometime now, my email box has been filled with request from fellow Nigerian entrepreneurs asking for the fastest growing business opportunities in Nigeria which they can invest in. Before I proceed with any detailed explanation, I want to state clearly that there are untapped small scale business opportunities in every industry both in Nigeria and all over the world; you just need to dig deeper to find such niches.

Now for those landing on this blog for the first time, i think it is important i introduce myself briefly. Business Opportunities in NigeriaI am Ajaero Tony Martins (+2348022628615); an entrepreneur and investor, with a passion to share my knowledge and also learn from others. I own the biggest business blog in Nigeria and probably the fastest growing entrepreneurship blog in the world.

While there are untapped business opportunities in every industry, this article will be pointing out the fastest growing business opportunities in Nigeria. If you are non-Nigerian or you’re a Nigerian in Diaspora wishing to start a business in Nigeria; then you will find this list of fastest growing business opportunities in Nigeria very useful.

A lot of things have been said about my country Nigeria and her harsh business terrain. If you are a non-Nigerian entrepreneur or a Nigerian in Diaspora; then this is my take about starting or doing business in Nigeria. If you are an experienced serial entrepreneur or an entrepreneur with guts; then you should know that one of the best places to invest your money and build a business is in a developing terrain.

Nigeria is a developing country and one of the best places to invest or build a business is in a developing environment. Though the risk is high, so also is the reward. Like I said; if you are an entrepreneur with guts to take on business challenges like Richard Branson; then this article is for you.

If you are hungry for entrepreneurial ideas and information; then sit back, grab a cup of coffee and read on as I present with you a detailed list of 15 fastest growing small business ideas and opportunities in Nigeria.

    15 Fastest Growing Small Business Opportunities in Nigeria for 2013

Before I begin listing the fastest growing business opportunities in Nigeria; let me tell you how I came about this list.

Sometime ago, I handed out a task to some members of my strategic business team and that task was to research and get a detailed report on the fastest growing business opportunities in Nigeria with moderate risk and strong profit potential within a defined time frame. After several weeks of painstaking research, my business team reported back to me with an in-depth list of 500 Hottest Business Opportunities in Nigeria for 2013.

Well; if you must know why I mandated such task to be carried out, then I am going to spill it. As at the time of this writing, I am currently developing a strategic diversification plan with my business team and we are looking at the various options of business opportunities available.

So while I am not going to tell you the specific industry i will be breaking into; I am going to share with you a short extract from my list of 15+ fastest growing business opportunities in Nigeria, as researched by my team.

What if You Don’t Have the Money or Capital to Start a Business?

Now i know Nigerians are enterprising and industrious, but the inability to access the necessary funds or capital is what is holding back most Nigerians. The Federal Government went a step ahead to initiate a programme called “YouWin” and to be sincere, i really laud this proactive measure.

But the problem is that YouWin can’t finance everybody’s business; you must learn to raise money on your own without going to the bank. So in response to this, i wrote an article that reveals 100 Alternative Ways to Finance a Business Without Going to the Bank.

So without wasting your time, below is a brief extract of the fastest growing small business opportunities in Nigeria.

    15 Fastest Growing Small Business Opportunities in Nigeria for 2013

Agricultural Sector

1.            Catfish and Poultry Farming

The first of the fastest growing business opportunities in Nigeria is catfish farming. The primary reason I listed catfish farming as one of the fastest business opportunities in Nigeria is because it’s an emerging industry that hasn’t reached its peak or full potential. The major players in this business are usually regional players. What this means in essence is that each major player in the catfish farming industry is focused only on a particular business terrain within the geographical location of the farm.

So all you need to do is look for a region with a growing demand that haven’t been covered by a major player and situate your business there. As for poultry farming, the ban imposed by the federal government of Nigeria with respect to the importation of live or frozen poultry birds has only helped explode the demand. Snail farming is also another under-exploited money maker.

When accessing any of these business opportunities listed above, you must note three important facts. One, food is one of the basic necessities of man, thus making catfish, snail and poultry farming a huge potential. Two is that the population in Nigeria is estimated to be over 150 million and growing so that entails a growing demand for food. Three is that even if the local market with 150 million Nigerians gets saturated (which I strongly doubt as this niche is still in its adolescent phase), there’s still a growing demand for catfish all over the world. So do your own in-depth analysis and put your money to work.

However, you are free to use our own analysis and research on How to Start a Poultry Farm.

Textiles Sector

2.            Importation of wears

Importation of clothes (designer wears) into Nigeria is another fast growing business opportunity you can tap into but I must warn you; you will be breaking the law if you engage in this business because there’s a ban by the federal government on the importation of wears. I listed this business opportunity for those who have the entrepreneurial guts to take calculated risk.

Update: The ban on importation has been lifted by the federal government of Nigeria.

Another reason I listed the importation of wears as one of the fastest growing business opportunities in Nigeria is because the ban cut short its supply thereby leaving a gap of demand that can only be filled by brave entrepreneurs. Please don’t assume I am trying to hype you or something; I am a player in this line majoring mainly in men designer wears which is imported from China and India. I source corporate wears from Hong Kong because of the quality of their finished product. Enough said.

3.            Sewing of specialized uniforms

If you don’t have the entrepreneurial guts to go into the importation of wears; then you can set up a small scale textile firm that will specialize in sewing uniforms. The demand for uniforms is on the increase in Nigeria; from the crèche to the labor market, uniforms are highly in demand but it’s advisable you do your own detailed research before venturing into the business.

Transportation Sector

4.            Inland water way transport

Inland water way transport is one of the fastest growing business opportunities in Nigeria. In fact, I believe the niche is still untapped because I am yet to see a modern commercial boat or ferry service system in Nigeria. Though there are a few operators in this industry; I am yet to see the modern facilities being used by the developed countries.

Another reason inland water way transport business proves viable is because population in states such as Lagos, Ogun state and Rivers is rapidly on the rise thereby resulting in the congestion of roads. Since the roads are becoming heavily congested; the next means of transportation the inhabitants of these heavily populated states will resort to is water transport. With proper planning, a good management team and adequate funding, you can break into this untapped industry and carve a niche for your business.

5.            Haulage and logistics

Haulage and logistics is another fastest growing business opportunity in Nigeria. Though it’s considered a risky business; you can breakthrough if you have a strategic business management team on ground. Good management is the key to surviving in the business of haulage and logistics.

6.            Outsourced bus service

This is similar to haulage and logistics but the cargo in this case is humans. I am not talking about the regular road transport bus service; in fact, I don’t think I have seen the idea for this business been utilized by anyone.

Now in this case, you are providing transportation services to firms and corporate entities. Some corporate organizations can’t afford an in-house transport system for its executives and staff, so this is where you come in. You provide the cars or buses, provide the drivers and you are paid on a monthly bases or contract bases for the use of your transport services.

Another area of target is schools. Most schools would like to provide transport facilities for their students but they can’t afford it and this is where you come in. You provide a bus service system and send out a proposal to schools to use your bus services. Just imagine 20 or more young schools jointly using your student bus service system and you will catch the vision of this idea.

Information and Communication Technology

When it comes to ICT, I will say Nigeria is lagging behind when compared to the western world. It may sound like bad news to you but to entrepreneurs and investors, it is good news. ICT is still an emerging trend that hasn’t reached its peak so a lot of opportunities exist for both local and foreign investors. I won’t go into the capital intensive business opportunities that exist in the ICT sector; rather, I will stick with small and medium scale business opportunities.

7.            Cyber Café

The demand to stay connected to the rest of the world is rapidly on the increase and the cost of internet connection is still on the high side when compared to what is obtainable in the western world, thereby making cyber café an alternative for internet users; and an investment opportunity for entrepreneurs. This business can be started either on a small, medium or large scale but I will prefer a large scale because size can be a competitive edge for you in this business as customers won’t like to be kept waiting.

Customers of this industry want speed and efficient service and most importantly; they want to be sure to find a vacant computer system anytime they want to surf the web without having to wait in line. If you can get a good location; provide speedy internet access and provide complementary services; you are in for a breakthrough.

8.            E-Services

Just as the world is going e-crazy; so also is Nigeria catching up with the trend. E-services provision is still a virgin business opportunity that hasn’t fully been tapped. Under the umbrella of providing e-services; you can find the following fast growing business opportunities: E-payment, bulk Sms services, web design and hosting, database management services, e-portal management, etc.

    15 Fastest Growing Small Business Ideas in Nigeria for 2013

Education

The need for education is on the increase and the burden to provide quality education is getting heavier for the government to bear thereby, leaving room for private and institutional investors. The following are ways you can tap into the potential opportunity.

9.            Schools

A lot of institutional and private investors have gone into building quality schools and providing quality education but the potential has not been reached. With a population of over 150 million Nigerians, where 65% are below 40; there’s still untapped potential in this niche.

You can access this business opportunity from different entry levels. You can tap into this niche by providing either crèche, primary, secondary or tertiary education but all entry levels holds strong potential. Please carry out your own analysis before investing in any level of this business opportunity.

10.          Seminars

Not everyone loves being educated within four walls of school. Some prefer street smart education or high speed learning and that’s where you come in. You can set up a seminar company that organizes coaching services according to the current needs and trends of the society.

11.          Training centers

Specialized training or educational centers is another fast growing yet untapped business opportunity in Nigeria. Examples of specialized learning centers are Leadership training schools, entrepreneurial centers, training centre for the gifted and physically challenged, training centre for hobbies and crafts, etc.

12.          Tutorial centers

With the proliferation of academic and professional exams, tutorial centers have joined the list of fastest growing business opportunities in Nigeria. You can access this business opportunity by choosing or specializing on a training need. You can focus your proposed tutorial centre on any of the following: ICAN, GMAT, WAEC, JAMB, GSCE, CIS, job interview training, etc.

         15 Fastest Growing Small Business Opportunities in Nigeria for 2013

Green Energy and Technology

With a global increase in the awareness of environmental degradation and its hazard, the world has resorted to finding an alternative “green energy.” Nigeria is not left out in this global awareness that has created massive opportunities for smart entrepreneurs and investors. If you feel green is the next business trend on board, then below are the fastest growing business opportunities in the green energy and technology sector of Nigeria.

13.          Waste management

With an increased awareness in the need for environmental conservation; opportunity has popped up in Nigeria in the area of waste management. When analyzing the waste management business opportunity, I observed that two factors are responsible for the potential in the business and you must make sure these two factors are in place before deciding on an area of service.

One is a bursting population and the second is a strong environmental policy and its enforcement. So far, two states in Nigeria that has taken the lead with respect to these two factors and these states are Lagos and Imo state. But I believe great potential still lie in other states of Nigeria. Do your own personal research before venturing into this industry.

14.          Waste recycling

The next fastest growing business, yet untapped business opportunity in Nigeria is waste recycling. I don’t need to expatiate on this as the details are clear. You can venture into either bottle and can recycling or nylon recycling. You can even embark on a waste to green (manure) project as Nigeria has a huge demand for organic and inorganic fertilizer.

15.          Alternative power

The last but not the least of the fastest growing business opportunities in Nigeria is alternative power supply. In recent times; Nigeria has seen an explosive increase in the demand of power supply thus creating an avenue for smart entrepreneurs to capitalize on. Solar energy, Wind energy and bio energy are some of the alternative power supply system that are currently making waves in the country but the present alternative power supply service providers cannot meet up the demand thereby leaving room for other creative investors. With a good plan, adequate capital and a strong business team; you can break into this niche.

As a final note, I want you to know that of the numerous small business ideas, opportunities and potentials available in my country Nigeria, I believe the ones listed above are potential money makers but I emphasize you do your own feasibility study before investing a dime in any of these business opportunities.

  More Business Opportunities and Small Business Ideas in Nigeria for 2013