35+ Lucrative Delivery Business Ideas To Start In Nigeria Or Africa

In the last decade, the Nigerian and African economy at large has witnessed the breakthrough of a novel industry; the courier or delivery business. Easy and relatively cheap to start, the delivery business has taken a new turn and has now gone beyond the age-long delivery of mail. 

The growth of digital businesses has increased the need for courier services in Nigeria, Africa and everywhere around the world, in the process, creating immense new opportunities for budding entrepreneurs.

If you want to take advantage of the business opportunities in the delivery business, here are 35+ lucrative delivery business ideas you can start in Nigeria, Africa and everywhere around the world:

1). Food Delivery Business:

Since food is essential for survival, it is easy to understand why food delivery is growing quickly in popularity, especially in industrial areas. More so, the activities of the corporate world leave little time for people to cook daily. Hence, they resort to digital kitchens for meal supplies.

A food delivery business could be the link between chefs and consumers. Starting this business requires little capital and can be operated within a small town or large city in Nigeria, Africa and everywhere around the world.

2). Medical Supplies Delivery Business

A medical equipment supplier is an inevitable component of the medical field. All hospitals and other healthcare facilities require medical supplies, ranging from daily equipment like syringes and gloves to high-tech devices like x-ray machines, among others. Although this business requires some capital, it enjoys massive patronage all year round and is highly profitable in Nigeria, Africa and everywhere around the world.

3). Pizza Delivery Business:

Pizza has gained ground as one of the most consumed snacks everywhere in the world, including in Africa. In Nigeria, pizza is a daily meal for students and youths. Hence, targeting the student community with pizza delivery can help you build a successful business.

More so, pizza deliveries could be in bulk to small retailers or bits to end-consumers. Either way, pizza delivery is one of the delivery business ideas with great prospects.  

4.) Mail Delivery Business:

Mail delivery is one of the earliest courier business ideas in Nigeria, Africa and everywhere around the world.. Although the digital mail system has taken over, there is still a need for people to send hard copies of documents and files across offices for proper documentation.  

This creates a continuing need for mail delivery services. No thanks to the presence of technology, mail delivery does not enjoy as much patronage as it used to. Notwithstanding, it is a reliable delivery business idea.

5). Imported Goods Delivery Business:

Africa is without a doubt one of the biggest importers of goods, ranging from petrol to foodstuff. However, it is a great stretch between importers and retailers. To bridge this gap is the imported goods delivery business! It serves as the link that helps importers get their products to the nook and cranny of the nation from the ports and storage centres. 

6). Fruits Delivery Business:

Fruits such as watermelon, cucumber and carrots, among many others, are grown mostly in the Northern part of Nigeria. It takes effort to get the fruits to consumers in other parts of the country, and this is where the job of the fruit delivery personnel comes in.

Fruits delivery is a massive business in Nigeria, Africa and everywhere around the world. The continuous demand for fruits keeps fruit delivery firms in business all year round.

7). Egg Delivery Business:

Delivering eggs to households as well as small retailers is a great way to get into the delivery business. Eggs are mostly consumed across Nigeria, Africa and everywhere around the world. Since they are recommended for kids, families are always in demand of eggs. Similarly, eggs are the most preferred food supplement among students because they are relatively cheaper than fish and meat.

8). Computer Accessories Delivery Business:

This delivery business requires some startup capital. However, success lies in targeting the right market and servicing it consistently. Computer accessories are in high demand in industrialized cities as well as tertiary institutions, thanks to the concentration of young adults. 

A computer accessories delivery business can involve delivering basic items such as computer cables, keyboards, and computer mouses, as well as more advanced computer gadgets.

9). Auto Parts Delivery Business:

In Nigeria alone, well over 12 million cars ply the roads every year. With the condition of roads across most parts of the country, there is a business opening for auto parts dealers willing to take up delivery service as well in the automobile business. 

On the other hand, a sole entrepreneur can partner with automobile parts dealers and deliver for them on a contract basis. The key to success in this delivery service is in delivering quality products. 

10). Laundry Delivery Business:

If you are looking for an inexpensive or completely zero-capital delivery business, the laundry delivery business is a worthy option. It is open to literally any interested entrepreneur because it requires no skills or effort either. Plus, laundry delivery personnel can choose to work with one or more laundry houses. 

11). Dropshipping Business:

The drop shipping business is a delivery-related business that requires digital marketing skills than actually dealing with products. This is because it only involves completing deals and purchases, without actually stocking products. 

A drop shipping business creates an opportunity not only for the actual drop-shippers who serve as the intermediary between buyers and sellers but also for the actual delivery personnel who deliver the products.

See Also: How To Start A Dropshipping Business With A Shopify Store

12). Flower Delivery Business:

Bouquets are lovely gift items that people always send to their loved ones. As a flower delivery personnel, your duty is simply to be the link between the sender and the receiver. It is also possible to work with florists and flower shops for access to a greater clientele. 

13). Water Delivery Business:

There are towns and cities in Africa plagued with a scarcity of water. As a result, there is an opportunity for the water delivery business. Most locals involved in this business deliver water in jerry cans to the buyers. However, the business can be rebranded and optimized for greater appeal.

Similarly, water delivery incorporates the delivery of branded portable water in plastic containers and small bottles.

14). Cake Delivery Business:

Cakes are indispensable items for events and celebrations. The cake-baking business has continued to gain increased awareness, thanks to the innovative ideas used by cake bakers across the internet. Due to the massive demands, cake bakers need the help of delivery experts to get the cakes safely to the clients. 

Beyond events, cupcakes are also in high demand by all classes of people at restaurants, roadside shops, schools, malls, and more. Delivering to these institutions and business places also increases the stakes for those involved in the business.

15). Laboratory Tests Results Delivery Business:

It is also possible to work with laboratories, hospitals, clinics and other healthcare institutions where people conduct tests, and deliver the physical results to the patients. The role of the delivery service here is to save time for people who do not have the luxury of time to come back to the hospital for their results or cannot use emails. 

16). Pet Feed Delivery Business:

Animal and pet feed creates a great delivery business opportunity in Nigeria, Africa and many places around the world. What’s even more interesting is that delivering these feeds could be a lucrative business idea if the right market strategies are put in place. Such deliveries could be either or both delivering to retail shops and local stores or delivering to pet owners.

17). Fresh Meat Delivery Business:

Another interesting and highly lucrative delivery business idea worthy of mention is the meat delivery business. Meat is one of the most widely consumed foods everywhere across the globe. Nigeria, for example, consumes an estimated 360,000 tonnes of meat per annum. This goes a long way to establish how lucrative delivering meat could be. 

Whether the scope of delivery is simply to end consumers or to retailers and businesses such as beer parlours and pepper soup joints, hotels and restaurants, among others, the opportunity is open and lucrative. 

18). Furniture Delivery Business:

Whether locally made or imported, delivering furniture to buyers is a lucrative business idea in the delivery service industry. In the present era of digital stores and online purchases, delivering furniture and other products is an opportunity for every interested entrepreneur. Depending on the size and weight of the furniture, furniture delivery is lucrative in Nigeria, Africa and everywhere around the world..

19). Supermarket Grocery Delivery Business:

There are two or more dimensions to the supermarket delivery business. First, an interested entrepreneur could undertake the delivery of orders from manufacturers to supermarkets across the country. On the other hand, they could deliver groceries to buyers on behalf of supermarkets. 

The lockdown opened the possibility for more supermarkets in Nigeria to incorporate digital orders into their services. Consequently, delivery personnel are engaged to deliver basic commodities to their customers right to their respective homes. 

20). Wholesale Products Delivery Business:

The wholesale products delivery business involves delivering large stocks to wholesalers and retailers. This business is wide in scope and could involve products with widespread demands such as cement, noodles, soft drinks, and so on. It is often an interstate and sometimes international business with a lot of clients. 

Although the wholesale products delivery business requires large resources in terms of finance and manpower, it is highly profitable. 

21). Newspaper Delivery Business:

It is possible to work with print media to start a newspaper delivery service business. Newspaper companies use the help of delivery personnel to get their papers across to newspaper vendors and news spots. 

Depending on the geographical reach of the newspaper brand, delivering newspapers could create a successful delivery business. 

22). Clothing Delivery Business:

Delivering clothes could take multiple dimensions, depending on the type of clothes one intends to focus on. Delivery could include bales of fairly used clothes locally known as ‘okirika’. On the other hand, it could be the delivery of brand new wear or local adire patterns. Whatever the clothes of choice are, delivering across multiple retail shops is a great business idea.

23). Book Delivery Business:

Book delivery is one of the lucrative delivery business ideas in Nigeria or Africa that have been around for quite some time. Schools, bookshops and libraries are the key targets of book deliveries. This business thrives mainly in areas rich with academic institutions across all levels.

24). Coffee Delivery Business:

Coffee remains the most traded commodity across the globe, after crude oil. It is a brewed drink enjoyed for multiple health purposes, ranging from boosting one’s energy to keeping the mind focused and alert. 

Delivering coffee to retailers or to individual end consumers such as companies that provide free coffee for their staff, makes a great delivery business in Nigeria, Africa and everywhere around the world.. 

25). Office Supplies Delivery Business:

Speaking of offices, the growing industrialization of Africa has boosted the need for basic clerical and office supplies such as markers, papers, and other writing materials, among others. An interested entrepreneur can also choose to incorporate delivery of office gadgets such as computer sets and accessories, depending on available capital.

26). School Supplies Delivery Business:

Schools always need basic supplies such as books, markers, pens, and other stationery. Having a select number of schools with whom you have a deal is a great business strategy. More so, it is advisable to focus on areas with lots of private schools.

27). Interstate Foodstuff Delivery Business:

In Nigeria, foodstuff production is spread across different regions. While foodstuffs such as onions, pepper and tomatoes, among others, are predominantly grown in the North, the southern region is known for foods such as plantain, cassava and its by-products, oil palm, and so on. 

To ensure the circulation of the foodstuff, every farmer or foodstuff distribution business needs the help of delivery personnel to deliver their produce to buyers across the country.

28). Bread Supply Business:

Everywhere across Nigeria and other African countries, bread is one of the most widely consumed food items. Among other factors, bread enjoys massive demand because it can be eaten with various meals. However, it has a short shelf life. 

Bread bakers are in a haste to get their products to retailers as soon as they are baked. Bread delivery personnel bridge this gap. They can work as independent entrepreneurs or as full-time staff of the bread production company.

29). Soft Drinks Delivery Business:

Delivering soft drinks to multiple retail shops across the country can build a highly lucrative delivery business in Nigeria or any other African country. Depending on the scope of operation, soft drinks delivery could be highly demanding. Notwithstanding, it is a business with minimal risks because soft drinks are not perishable products.

30). Rental Chairs and Tables Delivery Business:

In most cases, business people who rent out chairs and tables for events and occasions often have their in-house delivery staff. Other times, the chairs and tables are conveyed by the clients themselves. However, this is only easy and practical on small occasions. Large events require hundreds of chairs and tables, thereby putting rental chairs and table delivery businesses in operation in Nigeria, Africa and everywhere around the world.. 

31). Liquor Delivery Business:

Liquor delivery involves delivering alcohol such as beer or locally-made gin. Whatever the liquor is, delivering to restaurants, pepper soup joints and local beer pubs is a lucrative delivery business idea in Nigeria, Africa and everywhere around the world.. 

32). Order and Delivery App Development:

With the growing intervention of technology in every sector of life, adding a touch of technology to delivery service is a great business idea in Nigeria, Africa and everywhere around the world.. Designing a mobile application to help a business, including both buyers and sellers, to order and track delivery will contribute maximally to the growth of such a business. 

33). Motorbike Sales and Rental Business:

For speedy delivery and travel, most delivery businesses use motorbikes. Selling or renting bikes to such delivery personnel or delivery companies is a good way to bridge the gap and create an opportunity for oneself. Whether it is a sales or rental business, dealing in quality bikes is bound to rake in more customers.

34). Industrial Equipment Delivery Business:

The industrial sector in Nigeria, Africa and everywhere around the world is rather wide and incorporates many businesses and services. Therefore, to start an industrial equipment delivery business, it is important to select which subsector to focus on. This will aid in subsequent business decision-making as well as determining what vehicles are needed to adequately and safely deliver the products in question. 

35). Delivery Truck Retail and Rental Business:

Where large products such as heavy-duty machines, large furniture and so on, are involved, bikes cannot be used even if they can be faster. Delivery trucks are the best shot. They are also used for commodities such as sachet water, drinks and bread delivery.

Therefore, retailing or renting delivery trucks for heavy or many products could be a great way to build a successful delivery business. 

36). Bike Safety Kit Retail Business:

The delivery business is a highly demanding and risky activity. It involves a lot of travel and long hours on the road, especially on motorbikes, which are the most preferred delivery machine used. As a result, it is pertinent for riders to be cautious and ensure that all safety measures are in place. This includes wearing safety kits while riding. Consequently, this need creates a business opportunity for those in the retail of safety kits for bikes and other automobiles in Nigeria, Africa and everywhere around the world.

To Sum It Up

Nigeria remains one of the fastest-growing economies in the world and the delivery business is one of the testimonies of such growth. There are now more delivery businesses than anyone could have imagined about two decades ago. If you want to take advantage of the business opportunities in the delivery business, you can choose from any of the 35+ lucrative delivery business ideas mentioned in this article that you can start in Nigeria, Africa and everywhere around the world.

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What are your thoughts on these 35+ lucrative delivery business ideas you can start in Nigeria, Africa and everywhere around the world? Let me know by leaving a comment below.