101 Best Business Ideas for Students in Nigeria (2023)

Best business ideas for students in Nigeria

Hey guys,

Today, we’ll be discussing the best business ideas for students in Nigeria. It promises to be an interesting blog post.

Take a look at the list below:

1. Hand sanitizer production/sales
2. Production and Sales of bedsheets/pillowcases
3. Sales of skincare products
4. Ice cream and healthy yogurt production
5. Organic drink production and sales
6. Mini importation
7. Become a GOTV/POS business/ Mobile Banking
8. Interior Decoration/wallpaper and carpet business
9. Sales of jewelry and wristwatches
10. Become a Disk Jockey (DJ)
11. Master of Ceremony
12. Production and sales of soap/detergent
13. Production and sales of Deodorant/perfumes
14. Cake Business/catering
15. Make–up artists/beauticians
16. Wallpaper/carpet business
17. Phone accessories business
18. Dry cleaning services
19. Poultry farming
20. Car wash services
21. Photography/videography/video editing
22. Blogging
23. Become a YouTuber
24. Freelance writing for blog or websites
25. Social media management
26. Social media influencer
27. Start a Paid Private Facebook Group
28. App development
29. Website design
30. Programming
31. SEO services to bloggers and brands
32. Dropshipping
33. Graphic Designing
34. Content writing
35. Baking
36. Photography
37. Computer Repair
38. Phone Repair
39. Start ushering services
40. Start event planning business
41. Make Money with Fiverr
42. Sell Art and Crafts on Etsy
43. Publish E-books (Kindle Books)
44. Make money daily with a membership website
45. Invest in Cryptocurrency
46. Make money dropshipping
47. Start A Niche Blog
48. Sell a video course on Udemy
49. Create and sell Apps
50. Become an online tutor
51. Sell Websites on Flippa
52. Launch and Grow A Start-Up
53. Sell online – via online stores
54. Sell your products on Amazon FBA
55. Sell your product online via social media
56. Become a virtual assistant

51 Best Business ideas for Students in Nigeria

I have always been a proponent of the idea of starting early in life whatever you want to achieve in the long run.

This also applies to students and undergrads. If you want to become a happy, successful, and financially independent adult in the nearest future, the time to start is now.

Apart from being able to make money while in school and being comfortable as a student, you never know where your entrepreneurship journey will take you in the nearest future or the doors of opportunities it will open for you.

So, it’s a good thing that you are interested in starting a business in school.

The good thing about it is there are so many business ideas for students in Nigeria. All you need is knowledge, focus, discipline, patience, and a repeat of these four.

Now, without further ado, let’s delve into the best business ideas for students in Nigeria.

51 Best Business Ideas for Students in Nigeria

1. Table of Contents

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   Hand sanitizer production/sales

Tell you what, hand sanitizers have come to stay. People are now more conscious than ever before of the need to always sanitize their hands especially after they come in contact with dirty surfaces.

This does not exclude students and this awareness has created a business on its own.

This is one of the best business ideas for students in Nigeria today.

All you need is a little training on making a hand sanitizer which should cost less than 20k, some material that would cost less than 30k, and a few customers that you can convince.

See Also: How to Make Your Own Hand Sanitizer

2. Production and Sales of bedsheets/pillowcases

This may sound so time-consuming but the production of bedsheets is not that difficult.

Once you get the materials, all you need is just simple sowing at the edges, and voila! Your bed sheets and pillowcases are ready for sale.

This business will really move in school hostels as bedsheets are essentials in any student’s room.

3. Sales of skincare products

Sales of skincare products is another thing a student can do to make money in Nigeria. Everyone wants good glowing skin, including students – ladies especially.

So, if you are knowledgeable in skincare products making you may want to go into this business on campus.

Your products cannot afford to be too pricey, otherwise, you would not have many client bases. Most students on campus just want to look good without giving an arm and leg.

See Also: Top 101 best human hair sellers in Nigeria

4. Ice cream and healthy yogurt production

This is another good business idea for students in Nigeria. In fact, a student can start this business with 20K in Nigeria.

Healthy living and nutrition are becoming big in the world today. Both young and old want to live healthily.

With the right publicity and the right messaging, your healthy yogurt line will grow on campus and you can even take the business further by adding other healthy drinks.

5. Organic drink production and sales

Similar to healthy yogurts, you may also go into production and sales of other organic drinks, smoothies, etc.

You may want to carry out your survey using a simple questionnaire so as to ascertain the organic drinks your campus students prefer before starting.

Your packaging is everything. A good product with bad packaging is as well a bad product so work on giving a good feeling to your buyers so they can associate with your brand.

6. Mini importation

Mini importation suits students looking for a business idea. As the name implies, mini-importation is importing on a small scale. Based on the ascertained needs of your fellow students, you may start importing such products on a small scale from China.

Mini importation requires minimum money. You import based on orders and you can get products from manufacturers at the best price ever.

If you are interested in mini-importation, this article on how to start mini-importation from China to Nigeria will greatly help you start.

7. Become a GOTV/POS business/ Mobile Banking

This is one of the hottest business ideas right now. And you can start it on campus with little savings. Mobile banking/POS businesses and GOTV agents do similar things. They offer digital services for customers on behalf of big companies and organizations like banks, GOTV, etc.

Because of the convenience that these agents offer customers, they patronize these agents a lot. Many campus students need this service so why not start this business idea right now and start making cool money?

8. Interior Decoration/wallpaper and carpet business

Wallpapers are the new technology when it comes to interior décor these days and lots of students desire to have some beautiful pieces beautifying their rooms. This could be a good business idea for a student in Nigeria.

When you combine it with other similar services like decoration and design, then you can even make more sales. And more sales equal more profits.

See also: Ideaslane Fav Founder: Eboizi Okoruwa, CEO Wao Interiors

Sales of jewelry and wristwatches

This one is a no-brainer, right? Especially if you stay in a girl’s hostel or you have access to them. Ladies love their statement-making jewelry, wristwatches, and even perfumes any time any day, student or no student.

If you can access a market like the Balogun market in Lagos where they sell these items in bulk and for cheaper rates, this would be a nice business idea for a student. even if you don’t live in Lagos, you can always work with someone who does by paying them to purchase them for you.

51 Best Business Ideas for students in Nigeria

9. Become a Disk Jockey (DJ)

The disk Jockey profession is best to be launched on the campus where you can horn your skill and at the same time make some cool money for yourself.

As a DJ, you not only DJ for parties and very big occasions, but you could also play at smaller events common on campus and charge your fellow students some fees.

10. Best Business Ideas for Students in Nigeria – Master of Ceremony

If you are very charismatic, have a good sense of humour, are very lively, and can spontaneously make people laugh and happy, you should make a good MC – at least on campus.

Many students prefer in-house MCs whenever they have an event. This is because they can’t afford the charges of established comedians or other MCs for their events. You can leverage this gap and make a business out of it.

11. Production and sales of soap/detergent

This is yet another profitable business for a student.

You wouldn’t believe how simple and easy it is to make detergents. It’s also very cost-effective; you can even start with N10k. With more than that amount, you will even start on a very big scale.

And the truth is that there is a huge demand for it even on campus. The top brands that sell detergents an increasing their prices by the day, causing people to look elsewhere for alternatives. So may want to capitalize on this need.

See Also: 35 online businesses in Nigeria that pay daily

12. Production and sales of Deodorant/perfumes

Let me burst your bubble. Perfumery has taken another dimension. Small-scale perfume makers are about to send some of the top brands that are unnecessarily expensive parking.  With the new knowledge of how to produce perfume oils, that industry is changing.

If you can learn how to produce perfume, package, and sell them, then you are about to start the best business ideas on campus possible. For one thing, everyone on campus wants to smell nice but, on a budget, so voila!

13. Cake Business/catering

This is not a new business idea but will always be one of the best business ideas for students in Nigeria.

Events will never end as long as humans have lived. And where ever there are events, there would be cakes, jollof rice, small chops, etc.  So, if you are good at this or have little knowledge, why not start to commercialize your skills now?

14. Make–up artists/beauticians

This is another business that will always fly on campus in Nigeria. You may think that this business idea is oversaturated but so many so-called MUAs are not that good. Only a few are exceptionally good.

So, if you belong to the category of the few ones, you will do well as a makeup artist on campus in Nigeria. Added services like pedicures, etc., will also give you additional income sources.

See Also: Top 25 fashion schools in Nigeria

15. Best Business Ideas for Students in Nigeria – Phone Accessories business

No one can overemphasize the role of mobile phones in people’s lives today – let alone students who largely wake up and sleep on their phones.

Mobile phones are like people’s companions, they simply can’t do without them. For this reason, mobile phone accessories need to be changed from time to time. This is a good business idea for students.

It’s even easier if you already have a place to operate – a small kiosk – and a good location in school are. As time goes by, you may decide to include other things like phone repair, phone sales, computer/laptop repair, and sales, etc.

See Also: Online businesses that pay students daily in Nigeria

What business can I start as a student in Nigeria?

16. Dry cleaning services

You can start a dry-cleaning service business with a minimum budget. The important thing here is your marketing – how you are able to promote your business to both lecturers and fellow students who need your services.

But you can always start this business small and grow your customer base little by little.

17. Poultry farming

Poultry farming is another lucrative business idea that you can start as a student with less than 50k in Nigeria. If you have a farming background or you have an interest in poultry farming, then this business might just be suited for you.

With a huge amount of passion, you can start a successful poultry farming business on campus. Food is an essential commodity and meat is a vital part of our meals. Poultry farming has always and will always be a good business any day any time.

18. Car wash services

If you can get the right location, and you combine that with passion and consistency with this business, I would say the car wash business is a lucrative business a student can do in Nigeria.

I love the business because it’s quite easy to set up, requiring only a reliable water source, space to park a number of vehicles, and some space where customers might seat.

Time may be the challenge in this business but getting a trustworthy employee with CCTV will solve it.

51 Best Business ideas for Students in Nigeria

19. Photography/videography/video editing

Many businesses in Nigeria now operate online. And recently, there’s been a shift from written content to video content and story-telling. This has increased the need for video content creators, videographers and video editors, and even photographers.

If you are skilled in any of these professions, you could make a business out of it and start to earn pretty well. Rest assured, there is a huge market for what you do. All you need to do is position yourself to attract contract opportunities. One way to do this is your optimum visibility online.

20. Blogging

Blogging is still one of the best business ideas for students in Nigeria. For one thing, blogging is quite easy to start and you can combine it easily with your studies.

If you are passionate about writing and expressing yourself in written form, you may want to consider blogging as a business.

You can monetize blogging by applying for Google AdSense once you have visitors come to your site. Apart from Google, there are other ways to monetize your blog once there is traffic.

See Also: how to start blogging in Nigeria and make money.

21. Become a YouTuber

Students can also make money in Nigeria by creating a YouTube Channel that is monetized.

What do you have to do? Choose a topic you are interested in or passionate about or both. Start doing captivating videos on those topics. Your videos must be clean and neat so as to attract viewers.

No one wants to waste their data watching a lifeless soul on YouTube, so make it very exciting.

Tell your friends and family to subscribe to your channel so you can start having views. Also, announce your new videos to your social media to connect and start getting viewers and subscribers gradually.

See Also: How Nigerian Youtubers get paid

22. Freelance writing for blogs or websites

Still, on writing, you could start making money from rendering writing services to websites that need content. This is called freelance writing.

You would get paid based on the number of articles you write or other criteria. This is a good business idea because if you have a passion for it, you can be a freelance writer without necessarily disrupting your schoolwork.

See Also: What top Nigerian bloggers make monthly – Estimated earnings

23. Social media management

Good with managing social media accounts and the tactics to grow followers and engagement on social media.  Then as a student, you could become a social media manager for brands or even other students who want to grow their IG pages.

If you love this job, it wouldn’t affect your school work at all. All you need is to learn to schedule your activities and even use apps that could make it easy for you to schedule content for your various clients.

See Also: 19 Ways to Promote Your Business on Instagram for Free

24. Social media influencer

Another online business that you can do as a student is social media influencers.

If you consistently give some kind of value to your followers on Instagram – whatever it is, you could grow your account beyond those of your peers and gradually build your way into becoming an influencer using the IG platform.

And eventually, you would attract small and medium brands who would want you to advertise for them.

See Also: How to Become a social media influencer

25. Best Business Ideas for Students in Nigeria – App development

If you have programming background, you may want to venture into app development. Apps are the in thing now and every brand wants to have their website content on apps.

Lots of small businesses want to build apps for their businesses and they need people with your skills. So, get yourself out there and start making money from building apps.

What business can I start with 20k as a student in Nigeria?

26. Website design

As a student who can design websites, you could start commercializing this skill and help other students meet their web design needs at a fee.

See Also: 25 most visited websites in the world

27. SEO services to bloggers and brands

Knowing how to rank websites is a very profitable skill and a good online business that pays daily. As long as people continue to use search engines, then there will be a need for people that know the ins and outs of SEO.

Once you understand what it takes to rank a website it’s time to put your skills to the test. It helps to create a website where you can test your new SEO knowledge, but it’s not a necessity.

In fact, you can start getting clients right away. The first approach involves using freelance sites like Upwork and Freelancer.com.

28. Dropshipping

Dropshipping is the new way people make money online in Nigeria now without spending a dime! But if you have a small budget like less than 50k or thereabout, the better.

Dropshipping simply put, is a business model where instead of purchasing a large amount of inventory (goods or products), you simply partner with a drop shipping supplier (manufacturer) and list their merchandise for sale online i.e., websites, Instagram or Facebook.

See Also: 81 best products to sell online in Nigeria today

29. Graphic designing

Graphic design is one of the fastest ways to make money online in Nigeria today.

These guys are some of the most sought-after professionals these days. Large companies and small to medium businesses alike need the services of graphic designers.

You may want to learn graphic design so you too could earn some cool cash designing stuff for brands.

30. Render services on Fiverr

Getting jobs on Fiverr is one of the best ways to get paid as a student in Nigeria. They are the largest online platform where people sell and buy services (mainly online services) such as graphic design, SEO services, content writing, animation, etc.

If you are good at providing any of these services or even more, go and sign up on Fiverr as a creator, create an appealing profile and start getting customers who need those services.

31. Make Money on Etsy

Another thing a student can in Nigeria to money is to make money on Etsy.

Etsy is an online marketplace where people sell and buy handmade art and crafts and vintage items. You know how some cultures of the world fall head over heels for handmade things right?

Now, match that with our expertise when it comes to arts and crafts here in Nigeria.

If you love art and crafts or like to make handmade products like Ankara shoes and bags, beads, fashion items, etc., Etsy is the place to make money.

How it works is this, Etsy will pay you once buyers buy the items that you list on their platform. They will only take 5 % for themselves. The rest of the money is yours, now, how cool can that be?

What business can I do as a Nigerian student?

32. Sell stock photos

If you love to take pictures or record footage, then you can make money off this passion as a student in Nigeria.

There are tons of sites that allow you to upload your stock photos and footage. These sites have huge user bases, and when someone licenses your photo, you get paid.

Some of the biggest stock photography websites include Shutterstock and iStockPhoto

33. Computer Repair

Computer and laptop repair is a good business idea for students in Nigeria if you can render this service.

34. Start ushering services

Ushering is another side business idea in Nigeria for students. If you have a passion or love for ushering, you may start a business in this line on campus and start offering ushering services to event organizers and planners.

This business requires some expertise so it’s vital that you hone your skills and professionalize.

See Also: How to Become a professional model in Nigeria

35. Best Business Ideas for Nigerian Students – Publish E-books (Kindle Books)

If you’ve been dreaming about writing books for a living, then this might be the best time to do it.

The self-publishing revolution has made it possible for anyone to make a living by publishing books. You can turn this dream into a business and make money from it in school.

Keep in mind, since there’s a lower barrier for entry, this also means more competition. But, by writing the best book possible, and satisfying reader expectations, you can increase your chances of success.

36. Make money daily with a membership website

Another business idea for a student in Nigeria or anyone who wants a side business is to start a membership website that can be monetized.

Membership sites require that you have an existing audience of some sort. If people are already visiting your website because they like what you write about and how your style, you can create a membership section of your site that offers premium content.

Now, every single person who visits your site won’t take you up on the offer, but your dedicated fans will find it irresistible.

The type of membership site you create will depend upon the kind of site you run and how far you want to go with your premium content.

See Also: How to start a blogging business in Nigeria that Makes Money

37. Invest in Cryptocurrency

Investing in cryptocurrency is one way you can make it in Nigeria these days – online. The first step in your cryptocurrency business is to get your knowledge and skills up to speed.

There are multiple approaches to earning money off cryptocurrency including:

• Investing in coins before they IPO, or grow in value
• Learning how to program and work with blockchain
• Become a cryptocurrency writer/blogger/vblogger
• Getting a job at a cryptocurrency startup

Since cryptocurrency and blockchain technology are still in their beginnings, it’s a great time to learn the necessary skills to position yourself for future success.

38. Start a review blog

Product review blogs are some of the sought-after blogs these days. Another great business idea for students. Brands continue to look for popular product review blogs that can help them advertise their products.

If you want to earn daily from a product review blog, some work is required. You’ll need to create a website.  WordPress has made that easy, so no excuse for that. Then choose a product niche that you love and that will attract traffic.

Start gathering information about top brands in selling the products and start to review their products. Objective comparison is always the mark of credibility. That’s what will eventually attract brands to advertise on your blog.

See Also: How to start a blogging business in Nigeria and Make money

39. Sell a video course on Udemy

Udemy is the world’s largest online learning platform. Millions of online learners visit Udemy and other platforms like Coursera to buy online courses in content formats like PowerPoint slides, PDF documents, and YouTube videos.

If you have any particular skills or knowledge that you feel people will really want to learn, why not put such skills together in a series of videos and sell them on Udemy or other online learning platforms like it and start earning daily?

40.  Create and sell Apps

As a student, how many Apps do you have on your phone? Am sure you lost count. Now, did you know that when you download an App, you are making money for the App owner?

Although this online business is highly skill-based, it’s a very good way to make lots of money while you sleep daily.

Ok. So, you are not a programmer and you can’t code to save your life, agreed? But as a student, you may have a friend who can or better still contract it out to someone who is willing to work and in place of his fee, you may offer him a share in the business.

And by the way, you may want to start your own student App that solves some of the problems that you or your peers face in school, so this is a lucrative business idea for students in Nigeria.

See Also: See Also: Best Apps to borrow money in Nigeria without Collateral

41. Become an online tutor

If you are very good at any subject or skill and you could effectively impact learners, why not consider teaching online. This is another good business idea for students in Nigeria.

A friend of mine used to be a French teacher in a private secondary school earning N45k.

Because her salary was small, she started looking online for platforms where she could find students who want to learn French so she could start home teaching to augment her teaching job.

Today, she has resigned from her teaching job and she now teaches French online to about 7 kids earning over N250k monthly. She is very happy to have lots of time for herself and her family and also excited to earn more. This could be you, right?

42. Sell Websites on Flippa

Website flipping is another thing a student can do to make money in Nigeria.

Website Flipping is one of the top ways of making money from blogging, and many pro internet marketers are using this technique to make huge money.

The basic idea of Website flipping is to create a well established site and sell it for huge profits. Though Website flipping is not for everyone once you become a pro in buying and selling websites, you will be making huge money.

If you are interested in website flipping as an online business that you can make money from, you can learn more about it here.

43. Launch and Grow A Start-Up

There are so many problems in Nigeria, your state, your community, and even your neighborhood that needs solutions. Think of it, need to do people desperately want to be solved and how can you help solve them in your own little way?

There are so many great startups that were started by undergrads who were passionate about solving a problem and today, their companies are very successful. You too can become a startup founder.

Take away tip: Please note that because of the internet penetration and digital revolution taking place, tech-enabled solutions find it easier to raise funds and get grants these days.

Even as a student you can start a startup on campus and when you graduate, you’ll concentrate more on growing it.

See Also: 3 Successful businesses founded by Nigerian undergraduates

44. Sell online – via online stores

Selling online is another business idea that I would recommend as one of the best business ideas for students. There are many e-commerce platforms in Nigeria that sell online, i.e., Jumia, and Konga, or other platforms that are less competitive.

You may register with any of these platforms, display goods on your virtual shelf and when you have an order, you could get from a manufacturer and then deliver the order.

See Also: 25 Best E-commerce platforms in Nigeria

45. Sell your products on Amazon FBA

Amazon is one of the biggest online retailers, with thousands of products currently listed on the site.  All you need do is to find products that are selling fast on Amazon, and you source cheaper versions of those products. Then, you add your own branding and then re-sell the items on the platform. And voila!

You have the opportunity to sell these products yourself or work with a manufacturer who will customize these products and dropship them to your buyers.

46. Sell your product online via social media

As a student interested in business, I want to believe you know that many successful businesses have been built around social media in recent times.

Just by being consistent, engaging, and relatable on social media like Instagram many Nigerians have built a millions-worth business.

Human hair business, skin products, fashion items, even bedding, and others are some of the businesses that people do via social media.

You too as a student, can start selling any item on social media and use your videos and story-telling to capture the minds of your buyers.

47. Become a virtual assistant

If you’re great at planning and organization, then becoming a virtual assistant could work for you. A virtual assistant is responsible for a wide range of tasks. For example, you could do general bookkeeping, data entry, email management, research, and a lot more.

Becoming a virtual assistant can be a great way to not only grow your income but exchange contact with important people as well. Not only that but the market and need for VAs are only growing.

A lot of small business owners are turning to virtual assistants, instead of hiring a full-time staff member. You can find virtual assistant gigs on sites like Fiverr or Upwork.

Other bet business ideas for students in Nigeria:

48. Make money from SEO services

49. Sell art and crafts on Etsy

50. Used book

51. Sales of Underwears

52. Sales of footwears

53. Sales of customized T-shirts

54. Healthy snack subscription service

55. Customized cake or cupcake baking

56. Homemade ice cream or popsicle business

57. Smoothie bar

58. Popcorn shop with unique flavors

59. Specialty hot dog or burger stand

60. Baked goods delivery service

61. Salad or bowl bar

62. Jewelry-making and sales

63. Vintage clothing store

64. Online boutique for trendy fashion

65. Personalized accessories (e.g., keychains, phone cases)

66. Fashion consulting or personal styling services

67. Second-hand clothing consignment store

68. Customized sneaker design and sales

69. Fashion blog or influencer marketing

70. School spirit merchandise shop

Other frequently asked questions about lucrative business ideas for students are

Which business is best for students?

There are many best business ideas for students. But a lot depends on the budget of the student, say N100K or N50k, or even N20k. some business ideas are Hand sanitizer production/sales; Production and Sales of bedsheets/pillowcases, Sales of skincare products, Ice cream, and healthy yogurt production, etc.

What business can a student do to make money?

Hand sanitizer production/sales; Production and Sales of bedsheets/pillowcases, Sales of skincare products, Ice cream, and healthy yogurt production, Organic drink production and sales, Mini importation, Become a GOTV/POS business/ Mobile Banking, Interior Decoration/wallpaper and carpet business, Phone accessories business, Dry cleaning services, Poultry farming, Car wash services, etc.

What business can I start with 50k as a student?

There are many businesses I can start with N50K as a student such as Production and Sales of bedsheets/ pillowcase, Sales of skincare products, Ice cream and healthy yogurt production, Organic drink productions and sales, Mini importation, Become a GOTV/POS business/ Mobile Banking, Interior, etc.

ROUNDING UP

There you go on the best business ideas for students in Nigeria.

Starting a business in school as a student is an essential thing today, for one thing, you would start to build some first-hand experience in entrepreneurship. Again, the idea that you could make some cool money for yourself while doing your business in school is not a bad one, after all.

As a student in Nigeria, there are plenty of business ideas for everyone. Don’t procrastinate! Pick one of the business ideas I talked about in the article and start a small business that will turn huge in the nearest future.

As usual, if there is anything I left out in this article, let me know in the comment session. I will be waiting there to read all your comments and learn about the businesses you want to start.

Also, let me know if there is anything you want me to talk about in the blog or our YouTube channel.

Do well by following us on all our social media platforms and subscribe to our YouTube channel. We have awesome content there too. Cheers!