23 Cheapest Businesses to Start From Home in Nigeria (2025)

In 2020, during the lockdown period in Nigeria, I watched my younger sister start a home business producing snacks with less than 10k Naira and grew it into a business that generates a revenue of over 300k per month.

It was right then that I believed that anyone could start a business from home for almost zero capital and start making money.

I guess she stole my book "Small Business, Big Money" by Akin Alabi and implemented the ideas because she literally made the ideas in that book come life.

Well, now I know that it is possible to start and grow a business right from the confines of your home.

It starts with just an idea and then executing that idea with perfection and hustle.

So, in this post, I want to highlight a few businesses that you can start cheaply from home and start making money.

If you have a capital of less than 50k Naira and you desperately want to start your own business, then this article is for you.

Here's me hoping you find a business on this list that matches your personality, passion and skill.

Now, it's up to you.

Home Decor

If you have a passion for arranging things and bringing out the beauty in any space or environment, then you can start a home decor business.

This business cost almost zero capital, so all you need is your decor skills and some marketing to get your first clients.

Painting

One thing people don't know about me is that I'm a good painter.

It's a natural skill that I've received accolades for, and I could easily start a painting business right now from home and start making money.

All I need to do is create some sample jobs and then start reaching out to clients.

With zero capital, you can start making at least 100k per month as a painter if you have the skills and dedicate your time to find real paying customers.

The good thing is, your customers are always around the corner. Your neighbors, colleagues, etc.

Social Blogging

Do you have a flair for writing? Are you patient enough to build a large following that will come to trust your opinion?

If yes, then social blogging might be the right home business for you.

I'm a living example of that. I started my first blog right from my parent's sitting room and grew it into a platform that pays me more than what my dad earned on a monthly basis.

Please read that last paragraph again until the idea sinks in.

Now, you can start a blog on social media platforms like X and Facebook for almost free, and you'll start making money.

All it takes is a niche idea and some writing skills.

Events Management

Long time ago, I used to work with a family friend who was an events manager.

I actually went with my sister to assist her and then I got hooked by the free food I get whenever I follow her to work.

Well, I used to think this aunty was a talkative until I realized she was a marketing genius.

She started the business from scratch with almost nothing right from her bedroom and talked her way to events management success.

Anywhere she went, she marketed her events management business. And she got a lot of deals.

This is proof that anyone can start an event management business on the cheap and grow it to success.

Creche School

If you have free space around your home and you are passionate about caring for and educating children, then you can start a creche school from home.

It takes almost nothing to start, and many parents would be happy to keep their kids with you for a small fee.

This business is great for female entrepreneurs in Nigeria, especially if you have a very strong religious network.

Home Tutor

Still on education, a home tutor business is great for anyone who's enthusiastic about teaching, and it doesn't cost a fortune to start.

The good thing about this business is that you can start it either offline or online.

You could market your services to parents who have children in elementary school or just start teaching on YouTube.

Teaching on YouTube can be a great marketing channel for attracting home tutor clients offline who will pay you even better.

Snacks Production

This is the exact business my younger sister started with less than 10k and grew it into a business that helped her buy her first car.

It is unbelievable how things can change for you if only you can muster the courage to start a business right from where you are.

Snacks production is one of such businesses that you can start cheaply from home and start making money almost immediately.

But you have to put on your marketing cap to find shops willing to take in your products.

Chef-on-Demand

Chefs-on-demand are a thing in Nigeria, as people are willing to do a quick hire for events and occasions.

I've discovered that specialty chefs are more in demand, as customers might want to hire chefs for specific delicacies.

My mum used to run a chef-on-demand business as she was an expert in cooking one of the local meat soups.

She invested almost zero capital into the business, as clients often footed all the bills, from the foodstuffs and condiments right to transport and other miscellaneous costs.

All my mum had to do was show up and cook. And she made a lot of money doing that even as a side business.

That should encourage anyone looking to start a chef-on-demand business right from home. All it takes is your cooking skills and the boldness to market your business.

Mobile Laundry

You can start a successful mobile laundromat at home with less than 20k Naira.

You probably already have all you need to start the business right now from home. Detergents, soaps, starch, and washing equipment.

All you need to do is start telling people about your new business. Go around the neighborhood or beyond to find new clients and start making money.

Hair Stylist

Many of the hair stylists that I know work from home, as they do not have a permanent shop for their business.

Once they get a business call, they are off to do their job and make money.

If you are a hair stylist or have the skill of making a few hairstyles, then you can start making money right from where you are.

Recently, I got a job to design a website for a client. He is a hair stylist that specializes in dreadlocks and he wanted to create a website that will help him do content marketing and connect with other dreadlock stylists.

This guy works from home and makes more money than many 95ers. And guess what he started with? Nothing but hair making skills.

You too can do the same.

Makeup Artist

Just like a hair stylist, a makeup artist can start this business from home with almost zero capital.

Most ladies that go into this business start out with their friends as their first clients, and then grow from there.

You can do the same and then post your work on social media to market your business and get new clients.

Foodstuff Distribution

If you know how to source foodstuff cheaply, then you can start foodstuff distribution from home and make money.

This business is mostly niched, so you'd have to focus on a particular foodstuff to distribute.

I've seen a few people do this and they distribute foodstuff such as:

Crayfish
African Breadfruit
Semolina
Moringa seeds
Processed fufu
Palm oil
Etc.

So, if you have the network to source foodstuff cheaply, you can start a foodstuff distribution business that may not even require you to make a huge initial financial outlay.

Mini Guest Home

Do you know that you can turn your home into a mini guest home and make money by short letting it out?

If you have a large building or a home with many rooms, you can reconstruct it and start letting out the rooms you don't use.

To get customers, you can register as a host on Airbnb as well as advertised your short let business via word of mouth.

Setting this up might not be cheap but you probably already have all you need to make the rooms as comfortable as possible for customers.

The idea is not to spend too much but use earnings from the business to continue improving the business and grow from there.

Fashion Design

If you have fashion design skills and a sewing machine, then you already have all you need to start making money from home.

All you have to do is network with other fashion designers and clientele around your location and start collaborating for jobs.

This business can even be done as a side hustle to complement your job if you are a 95er.

Car Wash

If you have a wide enough space in front of your house, then you can start a car wash business from home.

All you need is find a good water source and get your washing equipment.

Once you have a signboard in place, you'll start getting clients in no time if your price is fair.

This could also be a perfect side hustle for busy people, as you can hire car washers to take charge of the place throughout the working hours of the day and pay you a cut of the revenue.

Mascot Services

It's funny how I've always dreamt of doing this business.

I really can imagine myself dressed up as a mascot and entertaining children in schools and other events.

It's actually a fun business that can be generating good cash flow for you once in a while if you have good costumes.

I think you should highly consider this if it catches your fancy.

Errand Services

If you have a lot of time on your hands, you can start offering errand services in exchange for cash.

Many people around you will be happy to pay you to run errands for them, especially because they know and trust you.

You can run different kinds of errand services such as:

Local shopping
Business delivery
Events Representation
Entourage Services
Medical & Health Delivery
Etc.

Snail Farming

This is one of the cheapest livestock farming you can start from home and start making money.

The attractive thing about snail farming is that you can spend next to nothing in feeds, and the maintenance requirement is very low.

Due to the high market demands for snails, I'm really considering investing in a small scale snail farm at home to test the waters.

If it all goes to plan, I might write an article on the journey or just launch a snail farm blog to share everything I'm learning on the business.

Social Media Management

If you need a job that doesn't take you out of the comfort of your house, then social media management is a good choice.

All you need is a mobile device, good internet connection, and a witty communication skill.

Almost every business out there has a social media business and they always require a witty communicator to manage their social media correspondence.

The average earning for a social media manager in Nigeria is 100k Naira. That might not be much, but it makes sense for a job that might be a side hustle you do from the comfort of your home.

Home Podcast

If you want to put your witty communication skills to good use, then starting a home podcast is a good option.

You could start out with a few friends at home discussing common topics or issues you find interesting.

This could be your normal routines with friends that you find worthy to share with the public.

And to think of it, many of the discussions we have on a daily basis make for quite interesting content that might educate or inform others.

So, why not share your opinions with the public and get paid while doing so?

Shoe Making

Shoe making is about the most lucrative business you can start from home.

Not only is it an essential fashion, you can start cheaply and grow the business to enviable heights.

The biggest mistake most new shoemakers make is trying to start big by acquiring all the equipment needed.

But it is possible to start with the basic tools and then collaborate with other well-established shoemakers to share equipment.

For example, you would already have a relationship with the shoemaker that taught you the skill. So, you can always go to their workshop to use their equipment for a quick job.

On the other hand, you could be a shoemaker without ever lifting a pair of scissors.

You could find a shoemaker to make shoes from designs you created, then you sell it for profit.

For example, you can find a cool shoe design online, and then pay your local shoemaker to remake that shoe at a cost of 15k, then you sell it online for 30k.

That's a pure 100% profit.

Pawn Services

Pawn services are about the only lucrative arbitrage business you can do offline in Nigeria without much stress.

The business involves buying used items cheaply and then reselling them.

Most of these pawn shops may look like junk yards, but they are actually a goldmine of valuable items people actually want to buy.

For example, a pawn shop could buy a used 6kg gas cylinder for 5k and resell it for 15k.

That's a clean 300% profit.

And these kinds of products are quickly resold for profit, often within a matter of days due to their high demand.

If you have a shop or space in front of your home, you could start this business with less than 50k buying items from neighbors and distressed sellers, and reselling them for profit.

Rental Services

How would it feel like getting paid regularly for an item you paid for only once?

How would you feel making money on products you don't even remember when they were bought?

That's how it would feel running a rental services business.

This is easily the cheapest passive income business you can ever engage in. You can start with a single item, such as a public speaker, projector, or even a canopy, and grow from there.

I have a family friend in Onitsha who retired from the bank and went into rental business. In a matter of months, she already has a truck for transport and over 30 staff.

That's to show you that this business is a true passive income spinner that can grow into a huge business if managed properly.

The advantage you have is that you can start right now. You can start from home, and you can start as cheaply as you want.

So, what are you waiting for?

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