10 Best Cities to Start a Business in Nigeria

See the 10 Best Cities to Start a Business in Nigeria. You might want to consider certain factors if you planning to start any business. Location is vert important for any business success.

There is no Nigerian state without any business center. According to an estimate made by the Corporate Affairs Commission CAC, more than 500, 000 businesses are being established each year. So from that estimate, you can only imagine what Nigeria will look like in the years to come.

Businesses may be either the selling of goods or the selling of services, either of the two requires a good location. This article will point out the 10 best places to do business in Nigeria.

Factors to Consider When Choosing a Business Location

1. Population

Whether you are selling goods or services, your business center should be located at a populated area this increases your chances of making good amount of sells per day. Taking a look at Lagos, you will see that there are many business centres and industries located there. The high population in lagos also contributes to this high level of business setup and industrialization.

2. Accessibility

Where your business is located should be such which is easily accessible, the roads should be good or minimally poor to allow the access of cars and other vehicles.

3. High level of Security

4. Favourable environmental conditions

5. Presence of tourist attraction which can attract visitors to the area thereby increasing the population and indirectly increasing the chances of gaining patronage from them.

Best Places to Set Up Businesses in Nigeria

1. ABA

Aba is popularly known for its large market. It is located at 7°35′ longitude and 5°1′ latitude in the south eastern part of Nigeria. It is one of the popular Nigeria Cities with a population of about 839,000 people. Aba in Nigeria is a large town situated at the bank of River Aba.

Aba Nigeria is an important trade center in the whole of Nigeria. It produces palm oil and kernels in large quantity, which yields great finance for the country. Another significant industry is the processing of cola nuts. Other things manufactured from Aba include shoes, beer, mineral water, soap, textiles and pharmaceuticals.

2. ONITSHA

Onitsha is also popular for its large market. It is located in Anambra state, and is one of the most important Nigerian cities in the south eastern part of the country. Onitsha Nigeria is located at the intersection of 6°10′ North and 6°47′ East with a population of about 548,600 people. The region receives heavy amount of rainfall and thus the climate remains more or less cool throughout the year. Chief commercial products grown in Onitsha are nuts, corns, fruits and vegetables. Other products which form an integral part of trade in Onitsha include tires, petroleum products, nails and bearings. They are largely manufactured in and around the area. The city has a great source of mineral water.

3. ABUJA

Abuja is the federal capital territory of Nigeria and it is a city built with modern amenities and facilities. It is the most planned and systematically built among all Nigeria cities. The city with minimal pollution and congestion is really an extremely healthy place to live in. The city is well connected by roads to other parts of Nigeria, and other transport systems are really well developed. Abuja has great attractions for the tourists.

Markets and shopping malls are quite captivating for the local people as well as the tourists. Sightseeing includes the famous Aso Rock. The City gate, which marks the entrance of the city, is another architectural wonder to witness. To attract tourists as well as people residing in the city, Abuja has lots of nightclubs and restaurants, which are quite alluring.

4. CALABAR

Calabar is the capital of the Cross River State. Previously, the city was the ‘Old Calabar’ town and port. The city of Calabar has the highest amount of rainfall in Nigeria, around 106 inches. Weather remains more or less the same throughout the year. Calabar trades in fish, cassava, bananas and palm. The city of Calabar is situated beside the Calabar River. The town became a trade hub linking white dealers on the coast and natives beyond the interior land.

A pulsating bazaar exists in Calabar, where local merchandise from all over the region can be found. The Calabar Museum is the other attraction in Calabar, exhibiting some of the oldest antiques of Nigeria. Tourists can also enjoy a boat trip down the Calabar River to the Creek Town, to visit the statue of Mary Slessor. The city of Calabar is at a convenient location for the tourists, as it is situated in the far southeast of Nigeria, and becomes the last important stopover on the way to Cameroon.

5. ENUGU

Enugu is the capital of the Enugu State. The city has an approximate population of 286,100. The city of Enugu is the center of coal and iron-ore mining. An industrially rich area, Enugu also has other flourishing industries like steel and cement, vegetable oil, food processing, and motor vehicle assemblage.

The city is connected to the Port Harcourt by railway. The city of Enugu is located in south-central Nigeria. It is situated at the bottom of the Udi plateau, on the railroad from Port Harcourt. The bulk of the human resource in Enugu is engaged either in agriculture or in some agriculture related work.

6. PORT HARCOURT

Port Harcourt is the chief trade center of Nigeria. There are many neighboring countries of the African continent with which Nigeria has good trading relations. Therefore Port Harcourt, which is the chief among all the Nigerian ports, is considered as the business hub of the country. Apart from being the main trading center, Port Harcourt in Nigeria is also a great tourist destination. There are many tourist attractions in Port Harcourt. It is famous as the Garden city of Nigeria. There are many beautiful gardens, lakes and rivers that can be visited. These are included in the sightseeing of Port Harcourt.

7. UYO

Uyo is the capital of Akwa Ibom state; it is a concentrated area with good basic amenities like roads, water and also has good weather condition. It has gained tourist attraction since the construction of many sightseeing places like the Tropicana, Ibom plaza, sit-outs and many good hotels.

8. LAGOS

Lagos is the most popular among the Nigerian Cities. It is the main industrial and commercial center of Nigeria. Thus all the business transactions take place at Lagos. Lagos Nigeria has benefited immensely from natural resources like oil, coal, natural gas, water and fuel wood, making Lagos financially very sound. Oil production had begun in the city by 1950s and between 1965 and 1973 the production increased seven times.

The well connected roads control the traffic quite systematically. The markets of Lagos are great attractions for the tourists visiting Lagos. However the main attractions of the city are the National Art Theater, the Lagos Central Mosque, the Remembrance Arcade, Peacock – Lekki Conservation Center, Slave Port, Glover Memorial Hall, Christ Cathedral, Shitta Bay Mosque and a lot more. Lagos being an important city in Nigeria, indeed attracts a good number of tourists throughout the year.

9. KANO

Kano is the biggest city of the country. There are many manufacturing and agro-based industries in Kano, which resulted into the rapid growth in the employment sector of Nigeria. The urbanization of Kano is the chief reason behind its increasing population. According to a recent census, the population of Kano is 3,848,885 that is little lesser than the population of Lagos.

Apart from being the chief trade center of Nigeria since many years, Kano is also famous as a tourist destination. The landscape is rich in beautiful sights, lakes and rivers. The other attractions of Kano are the museums that showcase the past of the city, historical monuments, mosques and big market places. According to some of the tourists who already visited the city, Kano is the most beautiful city of Nigeria.

10. SAPELE

Sapele is a port town and is counted among the most important ports of Nigeria. The city is equipped with all the modern amenities of a developed society. Besides being a port city, the city also houses major industries and is one of the main fishery hubs. The city lures the heart of the visitors with its varied attractions.

Sapele is home to some of the major industries and their industries are expert manufacturers of rubber, palm oil and timber. The commencement of the twentieth century saw the demand in timber products. This led to the development of the timber industries in Sapele.

Rubber plantation is also done on the fringes of the city of Sapele. The attractions of Sapele include the famous Okoma Game Reserve, which is a worthy tourist destination attracting various tourists.

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