Aba is one of Nigeria’s leading commercial cities. It, along with Onitsha, is a major economic nerve centre in the country’s South East, with markets attracting visitors from across West Africa. But for all of its entrepreneurial allure, the aspiring founder may struggle to carve out ground to thrive on within it. Unless you know the best businesses to start in Aba, you may go in with high hopes, only to find your venture floundering soon after.
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You don’t have to launch into the business arena of Aba unprepared. In this article, we lay out 10 ideas that people looking to set up an enterprise in Enyimba City can explore. Some of these represent domains that are already popular but can accommodate new entrants. Others on our list have been barely exploited, so there’s plenty of opportunity for first movers to rake in huge returns.
Textile (Wholesale and Retail)
Aba has a booming textile trade. In parts of the city, you will find entire markets dominated by textile wholesale and retail businesses. And there’s no sign that it’s slowing down. Every day, buyers arrive at the city from as far away as Niger Republic and Mali. Most of the patronage, however, is from visitors from other Nigerian cities and states. If you would like to begin selling textiles in Aba, make sure to learn the ropes with an experienced trader for at least a few months before setting up your own store.
Footwear Production
Another well-known part of Aba’s economy is its leatherworking industry. The source of the so-called Made-in-Aba shoes it’s been around for decades, and is still going strong. Footwear—especially shoes –is one of its major outputs. Anyone who would like to build a successful shoe or sandal production business will find Aba a supportive environment for their pursuit. If the business is at least somewhat sizeable, you could ship your products to other parts of Nigeria and beyond its borders.
Real Estate
Aba is a city that’s perpetually pushing out of its core and onto new ground. As its population swells, the demand for land, as well as residential and commercial spaces, has continued to climb. Whether you become a land flipper, developer, agent, or owner of rental property, you can make a good living from this city’s real estate industry. It’s little wonder that we’ve seen a sharp rise in the number of real estate companies in the area within the past few years.
Fashion Store
The people of Aba love fine fashion and are often willing to pay a premium to enliven their wardrobes. If you have a fashion store located in an area with decent activity, you’ll get good patronage. Women’s fashion outlets tend to do well. Men’s fashion stores, though fewer, also record strong foot traffic. As is the case with the textile (“materials”) business, it’s important that you know what kinds of products are preferred by the locals and provide those.
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Waste Management
While Aba’s old reputation for poor waste management is fading away, it could still do with professionally run waste collection and recycling businesses. These segments of its economy are presently dominated by artisanal operators and are plagued by inefficiencies. With the right amount of planning, capital, and knowledge of the city, you could establish a hugely successful company in this industry.
Fabric Printing
Local fabrics, though more expensive than imported clothing, have not gone out of fashion. They retain their appeal to specific demographics when they’re of the traditional sort. Fabric printing is an important part of the local fabric production process. It’s one that you can generate a good income from if you’re based in Aba and sell to customers from all over the country.
Import/Export Facilitation Agency
Aba’s businesses are linked to international markets via imports and exports. The agents who facilitate these cross-border trades can earn handsomely from them. The more knowledgeable, skilled, and trustworthy they are, the better the rates they can command. Quite often, these agents are partners with warehouses and major merchants, which pay them for their services.
Food Truck
A great business idea would be to run a food truck that serves the commercial areas within the city. Traders will often have breakfast and lunch at their business posts, so providing meals right where they are just makes sense. Until recently, the model for the food business within Aba’s markets was the in-situ restaurant or a makeshift stationary kiosk. A food truck would allow you to serve more people every day, and potentially make more money.
Merchandise Transportation
A transportation service that exists specifically to convey goods from warehouses to retail stores would serve Aba’s businesses well. This service already exists in some form, provided by tricycles and trucks that take on merchandise transportation as one-off tasks. If you were to begin a dedicated service with a business model that local merchants find convenient, you would very likely strike gold with it.
Digital Marketing
Only a small percentage of businesses in Aba have an online presence. What about creating a digital marketing business that builds and manages their web and social media presence for them? Not everyone will agree to opening an online storefront or promoting their goods on Instagram, but there should be enough of an interest to make your Aba-centred digital marketing agency viable.
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Final Words
In this article, we have explored the best businesses to start in Aba, Abia State. As you may have noticed, some of the ideas here have been pursued by numerous entrepreneurs. Others are true gaps in Aba’s economy that have barely been filled to this moment. Opportunities abound, and significant rewards await those who are courageous enough to seize them.
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