Mini Importation Nigeria ▷ How to Start and Earn ₦7.5m Weekly

Lot of people want to learn the procedures and basic requirements to start a mini importation business in Nigeria and make money online, even without experience and with little capital.

Are you one of them?

If YES, then this article is only what you need to read today.

People are making millions without a shop, without an office, and without moving from the comfort of their homes.

You’ll be surprised that with as low as ₦50,000, you can start making 6 figures in this business within a few months.

You just need to be educated about this business and go about it the right way.

Nigerians trust imported goods than locally produced goods, so there is a ready market for your products.

Before we get into the core of this post, I’d like to tell you to grab some coffee or tea.

This is quite a long post and if you’re really interested in getting the right guidelines that will enable you to avoid making costly mistakes, start mini importation from China, United States of America (USA), Turkey and make great sales with a huge profit, you’ll definitely read this article to the end.

Getting started…

What is Mini Importation Business?

Mini importation business model involves buying goods in small quantities directly from the manufacturer or major distributor from another country, and importing them to your country where it would be used or sold at a higher price for profit.

Many people usually see the mini importation business as a small-scale business.

But, on the contrary, you can also import many products depending on your capital.

You can decide to start a mini importation business with as low as ₦50,000 or as high as ₦50 million.

Once you know how to import goods from other countries to Nigeria, you can do your business from the corners of your room, experiencing no resistance.

Benefits of Starting Mini Importation Business in Nigeria

Here are reasons you should go into a mini importation business in Nigeria today.

• You can start with a little amount. Yes, with ₦50,000, you can start a mini importation business.
• It is one of the most lucrative businesses in Nigeria today.
• Being an importer can serve as a side hustle for you while you maintain your full-time job.
• If you choose the right product and select the right market, you can cover your one-year salary with just one successful import (depending on what you earn anyway).
• You can get cheaper products than your counterpart, if you have excellent negotiation skills.

Mini Importation Business Requirements in Nigeria

Here are the requirements to start a mini importation business in Nigeria and succeed:

• Smartphone or computer
• Valid email address
• A valid ATM card (Mastercard or Visa card)
• Easily accessible physical address
• A minimum of ₦50,000 startup capital in your bank account
• Get a PayPal account to buy your products (optional)
• Open a US bank account with Payoneer (optional)
• Facebook or Instagram Account (for marketing)
• A good internet connection
• International passport or National ID card

With this list, you are ready.

Once you have all the resources ready, the next thing is to know how to put them into use and start importing goods.

Countries to Import Goods from to Nigeria

You can import from any country of your choice, but selecting which country to import from depends on what you want to import.

Here are the best countries to import goods from to Nigeria:

• China
• Canada
• Cameroon
• Germany
• Ghana
• India
• Italy
• Japan
• Malaysia
• Mexico
• Pakistan
• South Africa
• Turkey
• United Arab Emirates (Dubai)
• UK
• USA
• Vietnam

60 Products You Can Import to Nigeria from Abroad and Earn Money

Imports to Nigeria from other countries of the world, like China, the United Kingdom (UK), the United States of America, Japan, and India, are very lucrative.

Here are the products you can import to Nigeria from abroad and make money:

• Smart televisions
• Solar panels
• Electric bulbs
• Pressing irons
• Rechargeable fans
• Generators
• Home Theatre Gadgets
• Automobiles
• Car tyre pumper
• Car trackers
• CCTV cameras
• Inverters
• Computers and accessories
• Mobile phones 
• EarPods and Bluetooth earpiece
• Portable Bluetooth speakers
• Screen guard and phone pouches
• Flash drives and memory cards
• Phone batteries, screens and touchpad
• Chargers and USB cords
• Wi-Fi and hotspot accessories
• Smart Bracelet Wireless Headset
• Toilet Led Light
• Wireless EarPods
• Super Bright Led Torch Light
• Warm and Cooling Cup Holder
• Mobile Phone HD Projector Bracket
• Waterproof case for iPhone and Samsung Galaxy
• Selfie Stick
• Engrave Pen
• Watermelon Slicer
• Hair wigs
• Attachments
• Classic perfumes
• Bathing soaps
• Necklaces
• Earrings
• Hand and leg chains
• Concealer and foundation
• Eyeshadow palette
• Contact lenses
• Eyelashes
• Moisturizers
• Lipsticks and powder
• Bracelets
• Skin whitening products
• Sport wears
• Stretch marks remover
• Teeth whiteners
• Underwear’s
• Foreign designer brands like Gucci, Versace, Fendi, Louis Vuitton, off-white, supreme, Givenchy, Prada, Dolce and Gabbana, Dior and Balenciaga.
• Kitchen utensils
• Floor tiles
• Doors and windows
• Roofing sheets
• Plastic pipes
• Thermal papers
• Wallpapers
• Waist Trainers
• Herbal Tea

These products are often demanded and frequently purchased in every state and area, be it in the market, university campuses, roadsides and even by hawking.

Computer and mobile phones accessories are the cheapest and the most comfortable to import from China and trade in Nigeria.

Almost all rich entrepreneurs that have a well-established mini importation business in Nigeria are in the sales of laptops, phones, and accessories.

Steps to Starting Mini Importation Business in Nigeria

Here are the steps to start a profitable mini importation business in Nigeria:

1. Fully Understand Import Trade

To start and succeed in the mini importation business in Nigeria, you must have in-depth knowledge of how it works.

One way of identifying profitable products is their demand and selling rates in the market.

Select a fast-selling product to trade with, choose your market and know their local needs.

Before starting, you must know the answers to these questions:

• How does the business works?
• Which country do you want to do business in?
• What is the population of the country?
• What are the fast-selling and high-demand products in the country?
• Where do I source for products?
• What is your niche?
• Who are your customers?
• Who are some of the top importers?
• What do others in your industry or niche sell?
• How long does it take them to sell off the goods and earn profits?
• How do they operate and serve their clients?
• What are the laws and licensing regulating import business in Nigeria?

Having a clue about the products that are mostly imported to Nigeria will give you a clue about what products to select.

You may not get the full information on what you need, but knowing a few things about the market will save you from incurring unnecessary costs.

The demand for certain products may change from time to time and from season to season.

Therefore, you need to keep your eye on trends in your industry.

The best ways you can get a better understanding of mini importation business in Nigeria and succeed without making costly mistakes is by undergoing mentorship under a proven importer or company and by reading detailed guides online.

2. Identify Hot Products

Hot products are products that there will always be a demand for.

This practically boils down to choosing the right niche for your mini importation business.

The best mini importation niches in Nigeria are:

• Health and Wellness e.g., ulcer treatment herbs, arthritis relief product, stretch marks remover, waist-trainers.
• Security, e.g., car trackers, CCTV cameras.
• Automobile e.g., car tyre pumper.
• Fashion, e.g., fancy bags and slippers for ladies, bone straight hair.

The health niche is very profitable because anybody, including you, will spend the last money in their purse, wallet, or bank to ensure that they get rid of any health challenge.

For security niche, you and I will spend a lot to ensure that we are secured, our cars, house and shops and businesses are safe.

Also, put in mind that you also have to consider the weight of the product before defining it as a hot product or not.

The weightier your goods are, the more cost you will incur, and the harder it will be to make a lot of profit.

So, try to stick to importing products that weigh between 0.1kg to 0.7kg.

3. Find Cheap and Reliable Suppliers

Import portals are websites you can get your products from suppliers and manufacturers.

China is the No. 1 source for hot and fast selling products around the world.

You can call China an international warehouse or manufacturer.

Though some suppliers play smart and sell substandard products, not all Chinese products are fake.

So how can you source for your product?

I recommend these popular China-based websites:

• 1688
• AliExpress
• Alibaba
• Amazon
• DHgate

Among the five listed websites above, 1688.com has proven to be the cheapest supplier. Hence, many make it their preferred choice.

1688 website is written in Chinese, but you can easily translate it into English on the site.

What you need to do now is head over to the above website and create an account with them.

Also, make sure you confirm your registration.

Once done with your registration, search the website for the products of your choice you can buy and resell in Nigeria.

Before you make a purchase from any supplier, make sure you read customer reviews on the product you are about to ship, check the product description, feedback score, supplier rating, seller’s guarantee of the product, and delivery method.

This simple method will help in filtering the bad from the good suppliers.

4. Product Payment

As an importer, it is also your responsibility to ensure that whatever product you are importing to the country is not illegal or contraband.

Know how much you will pay as clearance fees for the products that are being imported.

Now, how do you pay for the goods you order?

There are two ways to pay for the order you make on any of the websites and get your goods shipped to you in Nigeria.

Pay Suppliers

You may pay directly via the supplier’s portal through your PayPal account, Alipay, bank transfer or ATM card.

If you order the product directly from the website, your goods will be shipped to you.

The normal shipping is free, and it might take 20 to 30 days before your goods can reach Nigeria.

You can also make use of premium delivery, in which your products can arrive within 4 days, which, however, requires more money to be paid.

Pay a Logistics Company

Paying for your ordered goods is also possible using a logistics company, and this is very easy.

Logistics companies are organizations that serve as third-party agents, which collect money from you and receive your imported products from a supplier on your behalf.

With companies such as Chrisvicmall in Nigeria, you can place your order through.

With this approach, you will open an account with both your import portal and the logistics website.

Once you select the product you need from the import portal, you will copy the link to the logistics website and place your order through them.

The logistics company will track and get your order shipped to their office on your behalf, and once it arrives in Nigeria, you can pick your goods from their office.

This appears to be a straightforward approach that has worked for many.

The logistics companies get a commission of the goods ordered.

Usually, the charges are reasonable.

Your order will arrive within 2-3 days, 7 days or 14 days, depending on how fast you want it delivered.

The faster the delivery time, the more expensive.

The challenge with logistics companies is that not all logistics companies can help you return your goods if it differs from the order you placed.

So, ensure you ask the right questions about what their services entail before using them.

5. Product Delivery

When your goods finally arrive in Nigeria, your logistic company will contact you for pickup.

Most logistics companies send SMS or message their customers on WhatsApp to inform them about the arrival and picking up of goods from their office in Nigeria.

You can then go to the logistics warehouse or office, which is usually in Lagos, to pick up your goods.

If you don’t live in Lagos, you can ask the company to waybill your goods to your house, office, or a particular location using courier services, transport buses, and delivery agents.

After receiving your goods, the next thing to do is to create a website and start selling your goods online or offline in your physical shops/stores.

6. Create a Website

With the use of a website, you can easily automate the sales and marketing of your products.

It may cost a little money at the beginning, but a user-friendly website that lets you usher those traffic and prospective buyers right to you is a crucial foundation of every successful mini importation business.

Consider using WordPress and Namecheap which offer beginner-friendly experiences at relatively affordable prices.

Don’t forget to add your website URL to all of your marketing materials and social media pages, which will refer customers back to your site.

Last but not least, you can help drive more traffic to your website by running targeted paid ads on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Google and publishing relevant, timely, and valuable articles and content.

How can I Build my Mini Importation Website Today?

Get Domain Name

First, get a domain for your business.

Your domain name is going to be the name of your website. A good example is mine (siwesbeginner.com)

Try to look for a unique name and mind you, the first name on your mind might have been taken already, so make sure you have several alternatives.

Namecheap is a good registrar to get a domain name.

Just in case you have a domain name in mind, check if it’s available below and secure it today before other importers do!

Buy and Set Up Hosting for Your Website

Just like a domain name is the address of your website, hosting is like the actual house your website is living.

If you don’t already have one, the best I can recommend is Namecheap.

A good hosting determines how your website is going to respond on the internet and they are also responsible for how fast your website loads when buyers visit.

WordPress Installation

After you’ve set up your web hosting with your domain name, the next thing in line is to install WordPress on your website.

The good thing is, if you’re using Namecheap, WordPress is pre-installed.

So, you won’t have to bother yourself with the installations.

7. Sell Your Products

Congratulations on the successful delivery of your products from China.

By all means, market and sell your imported products so that you can quickly recover your return on investment (ROI).

Here, you need to find the right customers for the products by advertising.

This can be done using any of these marketing strategies:

• Reach out to people and pitch your products to them on Twitter, Instagram, Telegram, WhatsApp, YouTube and, most especially, Facebook.
• Print flyers and posters and distribute to the likely buyers of your products. For instance, if you sell baby diapers, give your posters to lactating mothers or people that just gave birth, and not to middle or old-aged women who are not likely going to patronize you.
• Go out to a TV or radio station for advertisement placements.
• You can also make use of local advertising agencies. You can visit magazines and newspaper companies and negotiate with them.
• Giving some discounts to regular customers or someone that has bought multiple products of high worth within a short while can make them use the word of mouth to promote your business.
• When you travel and meet people that need your goods, give them your business cards.
• To boost your business and increase your sales, inform your relatives, neighbours that you are selling a particular product.
• You may feature a celebrity in your advertisement or request their consent to put their picture on your brand design.

8. Delivering the Products to Customers

Just as it is important to find customers for your goods, it is likewise important to deliver the products to customers.

For your products delivery, make use of:

Courier Companies

Companies like Courier Plus, African Courier Express, AGS, FedEx are formed with the primary aim of easing the delivery of products from sellers to customers.

These companies also help sellers receive payment for products sold to customers at the point of delivery.

Private Agents

Locate reliable delivery agents or companies in every state or region within the country of choice, discuss the possibility of making deliveries on your behalf while you pay them for the service rendered.

There are some who make deliveries within 2 or more states. All you have to do is send fractions of your products to different parts of the country.

Whenever you have an order, you can create a WhatsApp group where the orders will be dropped and then attended to by the agent.

Once delivery is made, the private agents deduct their delivery charge and pay the rest into your account.

---

How to Buy from Chrisvicmall (Shipping from China to Nigeria)

Chrisvicmall is a Nigerian procurement and shipping agent based in Lagos, Nigeria.

Procurement Service

• Serve as your procurement agent in China.
• Buy from China websites like 1688.com, Taobao.com, Tmall.com.
• Help importers to buy product and make payment from Aliexpress.com, Alibaba.com, or any of offline suppliers in China.

Shipping Service

• Offer shipping service from China to the rest of the world.
• Estimated delivery period is between 5 to 60 days depending on the country, and preferred method of shipping.

Warehouse Service

• Provided warehouse service gives you the option of storing your goods, consolidating your parcels before shipping to your destination.
• You can store your goods for up to 3 months without a charge.

Steps to Register on Chrisvicmall.com

Here are the steps to create an account on Chrisvicmall:

• Visit chrisvicmall.com website from your PC or mobile
• Click Register
• Fill the form with your correct information
• Click sign up
• You have successfully registered, now sign-in.
• After signing in, click on my “Dashboard”, your account profile will display, then you can make any changes you like.

Chrisvicmall Alternatives

Here are shipping agents in Nigeria to use, but I haven’t tried all of them.

• Anthas
• Circuitatlantic
• UK2Nigeria
• Shopizee
• US2Naija
• UK2Me
• MyUS
• Shoptomydoor
• DHL
• EMS
• FEDEX

Steps to Become a Successful Mini Importer in Nigeria

• Maintain connections with past buyers
• Be transparent with your customers
• Cultivate an online presence
• Respond to customers in good time
• Leverage on technology
• Advertise online with videos
• Don’t ignore social media
• Listen to your client

How much Capital Do I Need to Start a Mini Importation Business in Nigeria?

Depending on your strategy and operation, to successfully start a mini importation business in Nigeria and succeed, have from ₦50,000 to ₦50M set aside to help with establishing the company, getting the training, speaking with the right professionals and getting your marketing plan going.

I don’t want to start my business now; can I still secure my Website Domain Name and Hosting from Namecheap?

In case you’re not yet prepared to launch your mini importation business soon; you can still secure your website domain name plus hosting before other importers will use the web name you have in mind.

For example:

• If you want to import and sell skincare products, you can use magicskin.com or spotless.com as your domain name for your online website.
• If you want to import and sell electronic gadgets, you can use topnotchgadgets.com as your domain name for your online website.

Note that the websites names I gave above might have already been used by a smart importer.

When you don’t secure your domain name today for future use when you’re ready, another person can go ahead to first you purchase the exact name and tomorrow you’ll only lament and regret.

Secure your Domain Name Today!

Steps to Start a Mini Importation Website in Nigeria

To start your website for importation in Nigeria, first get web hosting at Namecheap.

After that, create an account and checkout with your credit card details.

Then log in to your account and from there log in to your WordPress dashboard and start designing your site easily.

Final Words

Remember, no amount of money is too small in this business.

Your mini importation business will make millions in years to come, and all you need is patience, good customer relationships and the ability to manage funds effectively.

Do you want to start a mini importation business or are you already running one?

Leave your comments below.

I wish you success.