How to Start Plantain Chips Business in Nigeria

One of the most profitable snack businesses in Nigeria is the plantain chips business. In today’s article, we will be explaining how to start a plantain chips business in Nigeria. We will be looking at how profitable the plantain chips business is, the capital needed to start the business in Nigeria, and majorly the steps needed in starting a profitable plantain chips business in Nigeria.

Most times, when we talk about starting any snacks business in Nigeria or anywhere in the world we are talking about the business from a producing aspect not from the wholesale or retail aspect. This is because this is the only way you can make the snacks business lucrative.

If you go into the plantain chips business as a retailer or wholesaler it is not that you will not make profits but it can never be like coming into the business as a wholesale.

Is Plantain Chips Business Profitable?

Plantain chips business is a profitable business in Nigeria due to the love Nigerians have for the snacks. Many Nigerians like plantain chips and it is hard to find people who do not like them or have allergies to the snacks. The worst you can find about the snacks is that people have a particular way of how they want their plantain chips to look and taste like.

For example, while some people love peppered plantain chips others love the ripe or unripe plantain chips. Usually, you will find older Nigerians eating unripe plantain chips while the youths like ripe plantain chips due to the fact that they are very sweet.

Capital Needed to Start Plantain Chips Business

Another major piece of information many Nigerians want to know is how much it costs to start a plantain chips business in Nigeria. What is the startup capital needed to start producing the snacks business in Nigeria locally? The start-up capital will involve the money to buy the plantain chips-making machine except if you want to use oil (frying) or you want to be a wholesaler or retailer in the business. 

It will involve money to buy plantain (ripe and unripe) in bulk from a farm preferably a plantain plantation, and money to buy other ingredients. Ingredients like salts, sugar, pepper, preservatives, and money to buy plantain chips packaging nylons. For this reason, you will need a start-up capital of at least N500,000 to N1,000,000 to start a successful plantain chips business in Nigeria.

How to Start Plantain Chips Business in Nigeria

Here are the steps on how to start a plantain chips business in Nigeria.

1. Write a Business Plan

The first step to starting a profitable plantain chips business in Nigeria is to write a well-detailed plantain chips business plan. A business plan is very important in this business especially because you are going into the business as a producer and you are investing huge capital into the business.

To write a detailed plantain chips business plan without any experience you can use business plan samples you find online. These business plan templates will guide you on how to properly write a business plan and what you need to write the business plan.

However, if you cannot write or you do not know how to go about it and you need a professional experienced hand you can contact me through theinfoworth@gmail.com to connect you with our a-list business plan writers to help you out.

2. Get the Required Capital

Plantain chips business in Nigeria from the production aspect is not a small-scale business. This is why you need to be financially capable before you can start the business. For you not to forget in detail what you will be using the capital to do, here is the list of the equipment and materials needed to start a plantain chips business.

1. Plantain chips machine

2. Vegetable oil

3. Plantain chips

4. Pepper

5. Salt

6. Warehouse

7. Generator

8. Packaging Nylons

9. Staff

You will need to hire staff, especially in the production of the plantain chips business and packaging. Read our guide on how to get funding for your business in Nigeria.

3. Registering NAFDAC and CAC

Plantain chips business is a sensitive business because the business is a food business and any food business in Nigeria has to meet up with NAFDAC standards. It has to pass quality and nutrient controls. For this reason, you will need to register your plantain chips under NAFDAC.

There are processes you need to pass before your plantain chips can be certified as OK to the public. You need to have a lab or warehouse that you will be using to produce your plantain chips, the warehouse must be neat. And your equipment must be the latest equipment, ingredients used in production as to be good in terms of quality.

The hygiene of your staff is important too. They have to wear their aprons or lab coats and cover their hair.

4. Rent a Warehouse for Production

When looking for a warehouse in Nigeria for your plantain chips production there are a few things you need to watch out for. You need to make sure any warehouse you are renting is neat (hygienic). You need to also make sure the warehouse is spacious. And it should be able to contain all processes needed to produce your plantain chips.

Another thing you need to also consider is ventilation. Ventilation is also important in the production of plantain chips. Finally, you need to consider the cost of rent for the warehouse. All these are extremely important for the continuous successful production of plantain chips.

5. Buy Equipment and Ingredients Needed

All equipment and ingredients mentioned above are very important for a successful plantain chips business in Nigeria. You must buy all these ingredients and equipment as recommended. You will not only need some of this equipment or ingredients only for the first production of plantain chips to sell but for continuous production. This means that you will buy a lot of this equipment and ingredients continuously.

6. Start Plantain Chips Production

After buying all plantain chips equipment and ingredients and you have done everything I have mentioned above you can now go into the full production of your plantain chips business. Production is very fast especially if you are using a plantain chips maker machine. So you have to start looking for marketers almost immediately to promote and sell your plantain chips.

This is where you might need to send proposals and plantain chips samples to distributors, supermarkets, and provision stores around you. You can also employ guys that can help sell your plantain chips in traffic.

7. Profits in Plantain Chips Business

It is not easy at first to get your first set of customers or clients at the beginning of your plantain chips business and this is the truth. It is going to take you time before you can build a customer base for the business. However, it does not mean that it is impossible. You just need to be well-guided on how to go about it.

Here are some simple ways you can increase profits in your plantain chips business in Nigeria easily.

A. Sell to Different Customers

You do not have to be strict in the way you sell your plantain chips, especially at the beginning of the business. You can sell to everybody to increase your sales which will in turn increase your profits. You can sell your plantain chips to distributors, supermarkets, provision stores, and individual buyers that want to resell.

B. Make Different Plantain Chips Recipes

Customers like it when they have varieties. You can make your plantain chips in varieties to increase sales which will in turn increase your profits in the plantain chips business easily.

C. Buy Ingredients Wholesale

Another way you can increase profits in your plantain chips business is to buy your plantain chips ingredients in bulk. You might think this is not really a big deal but it is because it will save you a huge amount of money and this will reflect in your profits.

Conclusion

There is so much profit you can make from the plantain chips business, especially in a country like Nigeria. You just need to follow the due process. Following the process and every other information you need above you will be able to start a plantain chips business anywhere in Nigeria.

Image Credit Cooktoria.com

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