Cost of Starting a Welding Business in Nigeria and Equipment

Cost of Starting a Welding Business in Nigeria and Equipment . Before we look at what it takes to set up a welding shop in Nigeria, we must first understand what welding is. A welder is a metal fabricator; welding refers to the process of joining two or more metallic or thermoplastic materials together to form a durable, strong and single piece by heating to their melting temperature with or without the use of filter metal and pressure.

Setting up your own welding shop isn’t so tedious and is way better than working under someone. You may be deterred by the cost of setting up but the truth is, you stand a chance of making huge returns when you set up because the demand for welding skill is really high.

You will never run out of jobs, even when there are no contracts from big companies, you can make gates, protectors and other building materials for people around who are raising new buildings.

The government in Nigeria needs to encourage young people by providing incentives, training opportunities and equipment for people who are interested in investing fully into this highly technical industry, to curb unemployment and boost creativity and productivity.

Welding processes are classified according to the source of energy used in heating the materials, the major types of welding commonly practised in Nigeria are:

STICK WELDING also known as shielded metal arc welding is a type of welding that uses different electrodes to weld thick and thin materials. It requires no shielding gas and is excellent for outdoor use. It can be done through any contaminant like paint and rust.

GAS TUNGSTEN ARC WELDING: is a lower speed welding used mostly on super thin materials, super thick materials and materials in between. It is mostly used for steel, aluminium, copper and other metals.

It is flexible and proficient at producing flawless welds even though it is difficult to learn and takes years to master. GTAW has zero tolerance for contaminants; metals must therefore be clean before welding takes place.

GAS METAL ARC WELDING: this is a high speed type of welding and perfect for thin materials, it is easy to learn but the process is cumbersome. It requires a shielding gas and has medium tolerance for contaminants.

A close look at our environs will reveal many items that have undergone the process of welding. The services of a welder are needed in almost every industry, welding provides basic necessities without which lots of industries cannot perform and this makes it a skill that stays high in demand.

It is the back bone of all other engineering activities and plays a very influential role in agriculture, medicine and practically every other industry in the world. It is sad however that Nigeria is yet to fully maximise the potentials of this industry, the number of professional welders are quite few and welding is considered as a dirty street job intended for the lower class and uneducated.

This is a gross misconception encouraged by the negligence of the government which has made the craft unattractive to young people in Nigeria and blinded them to the potentials and profitability of the craft.

COST OF STARTING A WELDING BUSINESS IN NIGERIA

Personally, I believe welding as a business is capital intensive. Why? Because if you aren’t trained in the skill, you will need to get trained and certified, your certification is your license to operate; contractors do request for license before assigning contracts to welders and all these come at price.

Getting trained in a welding institute is even more expensive than training under an already qualified, experienced and certified welder. After this the next stage is to get an operating space, shop or office. Depending on the area and city, your rent may be from 10,000 naira upwards.

Next, you need to register your business with a help of a legal professional. This I believe is of utmost important to avoid harassment from government and ensure that you are operating a legitimate business; the cost of registration is negotiable though I cannot ascertain the exact cost.

You will need the basic machines to commence. With about two hundred to three hundred thousand, you can purchase these machines which include:

1. Welding machine,
2. a work bench,
3. a big and small vice,
4. a clamp,
5. a grinding machine,
6. generator for power supply,
7. a bender,
8. saw,
9. hammer,
10. chisel,
11. punch,
12. spanners,
13. pliers and other basic tools,
14. a manual cutting machine,
15. a brand new or fairly used drilling machine,
16. a milling machine,
17. a lathe machine an inventory,
18. grinding wheel,
    
19. oxygen and
20. acetylene cylinders.
21. Check other welding tools

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Electric welding machines, welding consumables like steel chalk and safety apparels which include goggle, hand gloves, welders helmet, welding tongs, safety shoes and boot etc.

All these could amount to almost a million naira depending on your location, proximity and type and quality of equipment you are purchasing. You may go for brand new equipment or fairly used ones depending on your budget. It must be stated however that the manner which you set up your business determines the kind of clients you are likely to get. If your brand is set up like a road side welding shop, you will be dealing with less sophisticated clients and jobs hut if you set up like a workshop and small firm, you will definitely get contra ts from huge companies.

Packaging is important in any business.

There is a need to insure your brand because welding involves lots of risks like accidents; you need to insure your business no matter how small it is.

Nigerians barley take insurance seriously, many believe only huge companies should insure themselves against risks but this is not true.

Cover yourself equipment and staff from future liability claims to avoid complications and complete loss. In a nutshell, about one million naira will be needed to set up a welding firm that will attract huge clients while five hundred thousand naira or less can set up a welding shop by the road side.

Read Also: 7 Steps to Start Welding Business in Nigeria and Succeed

Welding has its different forms and activities that require professionalism and competency to run; it is capital intensive but highly profitable.

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