As one of the oil-producing states in Nigeria, Delta State is home to more than 20 business opportunities spread across the (administrative) capital, Asaba, and the commercial capital, Warri.
The beauty of this is that regardless of your financial status, you will always find a specific business idea suitable to make a living if you are ready to take action.
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And for millionaire and billionaire investors who are looking for a good place to get great ROI, clean energy and oil exploration should be something you want to consider. We’ll tell you all you need to understand how the economy of Delta State creates opportunities for business-minded people.
But first, here are a few things you need to know about Delta which came into being on August 27, 1991, during the regime of Gen Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida. And during the regime of Late Gen Sani Abacha, who created six geopolitical zones in Nigeria, Delta was mapped under the South-South geopolitical zone.
The state which is one of the Niger Delta states is majorly known for oil and gas and other natural minerals with a few opportunities in agricultural production.
But don’t worry, even with just N200K or below, we’ll share with you some small business you can do in Warri, Asaba, Ugheli and other major towns in the state, nicknamed “The Big Heart”
So, are you ready to set up your business in Delta State? Here are some of the businesses you can lay your hands on:
Clean Energy Generation and Services
In case you’re wondering why this is our number one business idea in Delta, the state houses lots of resources to generate the power it consumes and enjoys a 24/7 power supply, seven days a week.
If you are an investor in a clean energy solutions, Delta state is one of the oil-producing states in Nigeria where you should consider investing.
Such a company must however be ready to deploy modern energy devices and technology in order to adequately be a company to beat at a time Nigeria has deregulated its oil and natural gas.
Surprisingly, there are oil and gas exploration companies in Warri that are not looking at the investment opportunities in clean energy generation services.
They power their operation by using imported power generators and spend millions of naira on running costs every year.
There are clean energy generation companies in the United States, Japan, and Canada among other countries. Nigeria is yet to have one and this is a huge business opportunity where millions of Nigerians are ready to pay companies that can guarantee them a stable power supply.
Oil Servicing
Several times, when oil exploration companies in Warri and other parts of Delta State have technical issues, they sought expatriate technicians from abroad, thereby spending more.
Though you might want to say they have the money, it’s an investment opportunity for an oil servicing company to have a branch in the oil-producing states in the region.
Laundry Business
The laundry business is a lucrative business in a state like Delta because of the high concentration of foreign national and oil workers in Warri and its environs.
You may not necessarily need to be a millionaire to set up one. You can start with a medium-size washing machine of between NGN100K to NGN120 and as your business thrives, you can purchase a high-power washing machine and employ more hands to help in washing, ironing, and packaging.
One of the strategies of succeeding in the laundry business in Nigeria is to perfectly understand the texture of clothing and ensure you deliver on time or before time.
Above all, there are thousands of customers waiting to be served in Asaba the state capital, Warri, Abraka, and other locations in the state.
Oil Vessel
Providing oil vessels to serve oil companies requires billions of naira, ranging from acquiring the vessel, obtaining an operating licence, registering with other government agencies among others.
Despite the stress and challenges in being an oil vessel provider comes with a huge revenue per trip and at the end of the financial year. This investment also requires liaising with oil companies, heavyweight politicians, and top security agencies.
Fish Packaging
Several aquatic animals are lurked in several rivers and oceans in the state thereby making fish packaging a lucrative business. The beauty of this is that you don’t necessarily need to be a fisherman or woman.
Provided you can deploy world standard packaging practices into this business, you will get a lot of buyers within and outside Nigeria.
To take a step ahead, ensure to list your business on some of the international suppliers’ platforms to connect with foreign buyers. Remember, you would need to get export licence from NEPC (Nigeria Exporting Promotion Council) to start selling to foreign buyers.
And if you’re looking inward, you can be major suppliers of supermarkets, restaurants in the Southwest.
You can set up your dry fish packaging business with NGN50,000 for a start and expand as you get more juicy orders. Packaging is important in the dry fish business and be transparent on the kind of preserves you use.
Oil Palm Production
As rich as the state is in terms of crude oil and gas, the soil in Delta state is fertile for the cultivation of several agricultural produce, oil palm is one of them. No wonder, the state government in May 2018 distributed 550,000 oil palm seedlings to 701 farmers to boost the sector.
In August 2019, the government also showed interest in establishing 1.2 million hectares of oil palm plantation between 2019 and 2023 through the Central Bank of Nigeria Oil Palm Development Initiative.
One takeaway from this is that state governments in Nigeria are not good business managers as revenue usually ends in the private pockets of politicians.
As such, this is an investment opportunity for private agricultural investors who would like to tap into the potential of Delta’s palm tree business. The global demand for oil palm in countries like China, Pakistan, and EU countries is enormous.
Home Delivery Service
Home delivery service is one of the businesses in Warri, Asaba, Abraka that can generate a lot of revenue for you, with just a bike you can get started, and liaise with eatery and other services providers to work out business collaborations.
Most of the staffers of financial institutions in the state, oil workers, and other busy people need a delivery service provider that can bring purchased goods to their doorsteps at a cost-effective and competitive price.
To gain the confidence of your prospective clients, register your business and register your service on Google My Business.
Mining Investment
Deposits of natural resources like silica, tar sand, clay, and limestone in Delta make the state not only rich in oil, but the discovery of oil has blindfolded Nigeria’s managers of resources from creating wealth in other sectors.
For instance, limestone which is found in the state is one of the major raw materials for paper production; it is used for water purification; used as a building material like cement, and it is also a major ingredient in toothpaste.
This investment, like oil exploration, requires licencing and other registration procedures, but the stress is worth it by the time you become major suppliers of toothpaste manufacturers within and outside Nigeria.
Real Estate Brokerage Business
There are several ways to make money from the real estate and property business. One requires capital, the second requires that you have a data-enabled browsing phone to market property and get customers and earn handsomely well.
Some real estate companies are already building estates in major towns in the state, so why not sign up as a real estate broker and start making raking in money in commission from sales?
Being a real estate broker doesn’t stop your main job as you can do part-time or full-time, depending on your goal.
You can earn as high as 10 per cent commission on any deal you close. For instance, you can earn NGN500,000 if you sold NGN5M property or NGN1M for selling NGN10M property.
Digital Marketing Business
One of the thriving businesses in Delta state is digital marketing due to lots of showbiz shows in Warri and sometimes in Asaba.
Most of the entertainment show organisers in the state depend largely on digital marketing to promote and sell more show tickets. You don’t need NGN100K to get started with digital marketing.
With your smartphone and ample digital designing tools like canvas on your phone, you can design a captivating banner and share them on social medial platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Don’t forget to use the right tag when you’re using social media for promotion.
Sports Betting Business
If you’re a sports fan, it may be the right time to get your foot right on the ground by learning how sports betting works so that you can set up your betting shop.
If you don’t have the money to register a sports betting company, you can partner with any of the trustworthy and reliable existing betting firms in Nigeria. Delta state has lots of sports fans who are ready to place bets on their favourite clubs.
Recharge Card Business
While it’s now easier to recharge from your bank or by simply using USSD code to top up, thousands of Nigerians prefer the conventional way of recharge card, thereby creating a business opportunity for someone who has between N20,000 to NGN50,000 to start one.
It’s now expensive to purchase a card online than buy a voucher, package your recharge card business in such a way to make your price more competitive to appeal to customers who already have existing channels through which they buy vouchers.
Car Wash/ Bar Joint
Car washing has gone beyond “just washing people’s car” to make a double stream of income at your “joint” set aside a place within your shop where clients can have refreshments. It could be a pepper soup joint within the vicinity.
Oil Exploration Investment
The biggest investment in Delta state is oil exploration. It’s designed for rich investors who want to dive into the Nigerian oil sector.
Business Consultancy
If you’re versatile in drafting and designing saleable and winning business plans, you can set up a business consultancy business in Delta state. The state government has financial support for small business owners.
But most times, applicants of such financial support are required to accomplish their application with a business plan.
You can write business plans for individuals, organisations and guide them on credit facility application procedures, and get paid for the service you render.
Tourism Investment
Some of the notable attraction centers in Delta State include The Nana’s Palace, The River Ethiope, Falcorp Mangrove Park, and The Araya Bible Site among others.
Most times, this comes in form of Public-Private Partnership (PPP)
Security Consultancy
Apart from the oil business, another lucrative business in Delta is security consultancy because of the fragile security state over there most especially luxurious homeowners would buy security gadgets like CCTVs,Video Intercoms, Alarm systems.
So, you can source these gadgets on Alibaba and other electronics online marketplace and install them for residents in homes and offices.
In all the profitable businesses listed above…
Is Delta State a Good Place To Invest?
For foreign investors, it is one of the states in Nigeria where incidences of kidnapping had been reported in the past, it is also a state where oil facilities are most likely to be attacked, as such we urge prospective foreign investors in Delta to take their personal security seriously and avoid traveling alone without security personnel that knows the terrain in their palm.
In terms of power supply, it is like every other state in Nigeria where individuals and companies depend largely on alternative sources of power.
Above all, carry out a market survey before you dive into any business.