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Start a Small Business in Nigeria

Go from idea to your first paying customer — and build a business that survives Nigeria.

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About this course

Learn to test a business idea against real demand, choose something you can actually start with the capital you have, register it properly, price to profit, and find your first customers without a big budget. By the end you will have a clear startup plan and the practical steps to make your first sale — and you will know the traps that kill most small businesses before they grow.

A business is not a clever idea you fall in love with — it is a problem someone feels strongly enough to pay naira to solve. The right starting question is not 'what business should I do?' but 'what do people around me already pay for, that I can serve better?'

What you'll learn

Course syllabus — 7 lessons

  1. From idea to a business that actually sells12 min
  2. Testing demand before you spend money13 min
  3. Naming and registering your business14 min
  4. The money — capital, separation and pricing to profit15 min
  5. Operations — online, WhatsApp or a physical shop13 min
  6. Finding your first customers and simple marketing13 min
  7. Surviving Nigeria — tax, and the reasons businesses fail14 min

Your project

Your startup plan — validated idea, costs, registration steps & first-customers plan

A single shared Google Doc link (or pasted text) containing a startup plan with: (1) a one-sentence validated idea plus demand evidence and one price/competitor finding, (2) itemised startup costs with a total, a profit-based selling price, and money-separation, (3) registration steps (Business Name vs LTD, chosen name + backup, TIN/permit note), and (4) a first-customers plan covering operations model, warm-network outreach, trust-building, delivery and payment confirmation.

Certificates on Skillnaija are earned, not issued for attendance: you submit this project, it is graded against a rubric, and passing issues a certificate anyone can verify.

Frequently asked questions

Is Start a Small Business in Nigeria free?

Yes. Start a Small Business in Nigeria is completely free on Skillnaija. You need a free account to open the lessons, and there is no charge for the course, the project, or the certificate.

How long does Start a Small Business in Nigeria take to complete?

5 weeks · ~4 hrs/week. There are 7 lessons, about 2 hours of material in total. You learn at your own pace and your progress is saved.

Do I need any experience to start Start a Small Business in Nigeria?

Beginner-friendly. You can start from scratch — no prior experience is assumed.

What will I learn in Start a Small Business in Nigeria?

You will build practical skills in Validating a business idea against real demand, Choosing a low-startup-cost business, CAC registration & TIN basics, Separating money & pricing to profit, Online/WhatsApp vs physical operations, Finding your first customers cheaply, Surviving power, logistics & cash crunches. Every lesson is written for a Nigerian context, with examples drawn from how the work is actually done and paid for here.

Do I get a certificate for Start a Small Business in Nigeria?

Yes, but it has to be earned. You complete the course project — Your startup plan — validated idea, costs, registration steps & first-customers plan and submit it for grading. Passing the project issues a verifiable certificate; finishing the lessons alone does not.

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