How to Start Fumigation Business in Nigeria

In this article, you will learn how to start a profitable fumigation business in Nigeria. You will know what you need (the equipment) to start, you will also know the capital needed to start this kind of business, whether you need to go for fumigation training, the best chemical for fumigation, and more.

As we all know fumigation business is related to running a cleaning business because it is all about killing or clearing pests (insects and animals) from residential areas and commercial areas. These areas involve both the indoors and outdoors and after killing these pests removing them from the environment makes these places safe and disease-free.

However, many think it is that easy. They think that this is what running a profitable fumigation company is all about but this is not true. There are many other things you need to know. Read to the end to catch up on all these.

Is Fumigation Business Profitable?

Many people do not know that the fumigation business is a profitable business in Nigeria. In case you do not know the business is very lucrative particularly because of the terrain of Nigeria. For example, the climatic condition of Nigeria encourages the breeding of mosquitoes. These mosquitoes enter homes and they make people sick.

And these families will need your expertise to kill or chase these insects. Asides from mosquitoes there are other insects like bedbugs, wall geckos, cockroaches, spiders, and more that always creep into homes. You will always be called to evacuate these pests from homes. The average Nigerian homes fumigate their house or apartments for at least 3 months.

This means that you will fumigate your customers’ homes a minimum of 4 times yearly. Imagine you have 30 families you fumigate their house yearly which is good money as a beginner in the fumigation business.

How to Start a Fumigation Business in Nigeria

Here are steps on how to start a fumigation business in Nigeria.

1. Get a Fumigation Certificate

To start a professional fumigation business in Nigeria you need a fumigation certificate. This certificate shows that you are recognized as a company that knows what it is doing. This fumigation certificate is issued by the Pest Control Association of Nigeria (PECANIG) making you part of the professional body.

I do not know how much it will cost you to acquire this certificate so I guess you will have to find out yourself. A fumigation certificate will bring bigger customers like companies, organizations, and more to you because it proves you are a professional as a fumigation company.

The first step to getting a fumigation certificate from PECANIG is to register your fumigation company as a business under the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC). You should read our guide on how to register your business name in Nigeria for more info on this.

2. Get Trained and Qualified

Fumigation training is very important especially if you are planning to go into the fumigation business on a large scale. It is either you go for the training yourself as a business owner or you get someone that will be doing the fumigation for you – a worker that will go for the training. If you want to be the person that will be doing the fumigation yourself for a start you need to go for the fumigation training yourself.

Fumigation usually takes a minimum of 2 days to a maximum of 5 days. When you are done with the training you will be issued a certificate. What separates professionals from amateurs in the business is the issuance of certificates. If you do not have a fumigation certificate you can still do fumigation business however, you cannot be considered a professional in the business.

3. Get the Required Capital Needed

Except you already have the equipment and chemicals needed to start your own fumigation business you need capital. As I explained earlier, you need a minimum of #50,000 to start. When you have this capital you will use it to buy fumigation chemicals, fumigation equipment, and your PPE (Personal Protective Equipment).

This PPE is the overall you wear to protect yourself from the harmful chemicals you spray to kill these pests. Please note that it is very important to you buy your PPE. Do not underestimate the potency of the fumigation chemicals. Do not say many of them cannot harm you, especially the odorless chemicals. Many of them are harmful to the lungs and other internal organs.

They kill slowly. So it is very important you do not expose yourself no matter harmless these chemicals may seem to you.

4. Buy your Fumigation Equipment

There are many equipment needed to start a fumigation business in Nigeria. These are the most common ones: Hand-held fumigation pressure sprayer pump, backhand fumigation sprayer, motorized sprayer, personal Protective Equipment (PPE), fogging equipment, fumigation chemicals. etc.

There are different chemicals used for fumigation. These chemicals vary according to their potency. The most common chemicals used by fumigation companies in Nigeria are odorless ones. You can buy the equipment you can afford for now as time goes by buying other expensive equipment.

There are different markets in your locality where you can buy your fumigation equipment. You can also buy them online in online malls like Jiji, Konga, and Jumia.

5. Creating a Customer Base

One of the most difficult things to do in any business is to acquire your first set of customers – creating a customer base as a newbie. Your first set of customers is the customers who believe in your business. These kind of customers are not easy to find because it is difficult to convince people who do not know you to believe in your business (patronize you) this is where your family and friends come into play.

Start your customer base with your family and friends as they are the easiest set of people to convince. Tell them you are into the fumigation business and you would want them to patronize you. You can give them unbelievable discounts to further convince them to do business with you.

Another way you can increase your customer base is to give more discounts when they bring customers to you for fumigation.

6. Profits in Fumigation Business

One of the ways you can increase profits in a fumigation business is to do fumigation for companies and organizations rather than for homes. Organizations and businesses pay you more than homes when it comes to fumigation. So you should target them more and target homes less.

One of my friends that is into fumigation business target companies and organizations to make fast money however, if he is unable to get these customers for a stipulated period he does residential fumigation.

Conclusion

Fumigation business is a lucrative business in Nigeria and it is one of the fast-growing businesses but many people do not know this. You can start the business alongside a cleaning business or start a fumigation business alone. It depends. As you all know I am in the cleaning business but for now, I do not do fumigation.

When I get the offer I simply pass it to my friends that are into the business. So it really depends on your choice.

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