When many people think of Imo State, the first thing that comes to mind is its abundance of hotels — almost every corner in Owerri or roads leading to Owerri has one. The state has become widely known for its hospitality and nightlife, often overshadowing other business potentials.
But it doesn’t have to be this way. Imo is more than just a hotel hub; it’s a land full of untapped opportunities in agriculture, fashion, education, tech, and more.
This article explores practical business ideas that can thrive in Imo State and shift the focus from just leisure to long-term economic value.
Table of Contents
Imo State’s Competitive Advantage
Highly Educated Population
Imo State has the highest literacy rate in Nigeria, standing at 96.43%. This means more than 96% of Imo State indigenes above the age of 15 can read and write.
In 2022, Imo State ranked fourth in Nigeria for total tertiary institutions admissions in Nigeria with 35,113 students.
A highly educated populace means Imo State benefits from a skilled and knowledgeable workforce. It also makes it easier for employers to find trainable and capable staff, which is a major advantage for businesses looking to scale with minimal onboarding challenges.
Thriving Hospitality and Nightlife Industry
Owerri, the capital of Imo State is widely regarded as the entertainment and hospitality hub of the Southeast. With hundreds of hotels, lounges, and clubs spread across the city, the state attracts visitors from neighboring states for leisure, events, and weekend getaways.
This thriving nightlife scene fuels demand in related sectors like food and beverage, event planning, and transportation.
For entrepreneurs, this presents a wide range of opportunities to tap into the entertainment ecosystem and build profitable, service-based businesses that cater to the lifestyle and tourism market.
High Diaspora Influence
Imo State has one of the most active and influential diaspora communities in Nigeria. Thousands of Imo indigenes live and work in countries like the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and across Europe, many of whom maintain strong ties with home.
These ties often translate into real estate investments, business funding, and community development projects.
The flow of remittances not only boosts household income but also fuels local entrepreneurship and raises demand for goods and services.
For business owners in Imo State, this diaspora connection offers a unique advantage in terms of access to capital and a ready market for export-oriented ventures.
Business Ideas to Start in Imo State
Agriculture and Agribusiness
Beekeeping/Honey production
Beekeeping is a low-cost, high-reward agricultural business that can thrive in Imo state. To get started in beekeeping, you need a suitable location with flowering plants, a few well-constructed beehives, healthy bee colonies, basic protective gear like a bee suit and gloves, a smoker, and a good understanding of bee management practices.
A beehive can produce up to 6-8 litres of honey within 4 months. At the time of writing, 7.5 litres of honey packaged in ten 75cl bottles can be sold at ₦25,000 per bottle. That is at least ₦250,000 per beehive.
As the beekeeping business grows and you gain more knowledge, you can expand your operations by increasing the number of beehives you have.
The honey produced can be well-packaged in nice bottles with your brand labels and sold to consumers. It can also be exported or sold to companies who need it to produce end-products like confectioneries, cosmetics, medical products and health supplements.
Cassava Processing
Cassava is a versatile crop that can be processed into multiple high-value products for food, industrial, agricultural and cosmetic use. With abundant cassava cultivation in Imo State, entrepreneurs can tap into this value chain at various entry points; whether through farming, processing, packaging, or distribution to build sustainable and profitable businesses.
Some of the by-products of Cassava are;
- Garri (This can be packaged and sold in supermarkets in Nigeria or abroad).
- Akpu as it is popularly called in the South-East and parts of the South-South or Fufu in the South-West region. You can make Akpu/Fufu flour and export it to Nigerians living abroad.
- High quality cassava flour (used in baking, snacks, bread, noodles, and industrial food processing).
- Cassava starch (Used in textiles, paper, pharmaceuticals, adhesives, and food industries).
- Ethanol (used in industrial alcohol, biofuel, sanitizers, and beverages).
- Animal feed.
If you go into cassava farming, there’s a huge demand for both the raw tubers and processed products as Nigeria does not meet its local consumption and industrial processing needs, creating a supply gap that smart farmers and agro-entrepreneurs can profitably fill.
Goat Rearing
Goat meat is a popular staple delicacy in South Eastern Nigeria. It is widely consumed at home, during festive celebrations, and at social gatherings such as beer parlours, traditional weddings, funerals, and festivals. Its rich taste, cultural significance, and suitability for dishes like nkwobi, pepper soup and barbecue makes it a high demand commodity across different communities in the South-East.
Although different families rear goat meat in Imo State at a small scale, they do not meet the growing local demands.
As a Goat meat farmer in Imo State, your major buyers are malls or supermarkets, hotels and fast food restaurants. As you scale your business, you can get meat vans and supply your goat meat to buyers outside the region, expanding your market reach to major cities where demand is high and profit margins are even greater.
Poultry Farming
Chicken is the second most consumed meat in Nigeria, and eggs are a staple in households, fast-food outlets, and hotels. This constant demand makes poultry farming one of the most lucrative agribusinesses in Imo State.
Before starting a poultry farm, it’s best to get the required training and join an online community of poultry farmers where you can ask questions as mistakes can be costly and quickly drain the startup fund.
With less than ₦400,000, you can start a poultry farm business of about 100 chicks, depending on your setup. This estimate covers the cost of day-old chicks, brooder setup, feed, vaccination, drugs, and basic equipment like feeders, drinkers, and lighting. Renting or building a small pen may increase the cost slightly.
When your eggs or broilers are ready, you can supply to malls like Market Square, ShopRite etc.
Modern Farming
Imo state has lands and a climate suitable for farming different kinds of cash and food crops. Some of the common crops that can be grown in Imo State are;
Food crops:
- Cassava
- Yam
- Cocoayam
- Maize
- Plantain and Banana
- Sweet potatoes
- Vegetables
Cash Crops:
- Palm oil
- Rubber
- Cocoa
- Cashew
- Kolanut
- Pineapple
With access to a reasonable portion of land, you can start farming any of these crops in their seasons. Starting small allows you to learn gradually, while expanding as you gain more experience and capital.
To succeed, you’ll need to understand the planting seasons, invest in quality seeds, and ensure your soil is suitable for the crops you choose.
Like every other business, farming requires huge capital to make a big impact. While it’s good to start small, do not remain small. Keep records of how much you are putting into the farm and the profit that’s coming out. If your farm is profitable, you can show these records to investors or banks to get funding for your farming business.
Technology and Innovation
CBT Centre
The need for CBT centres is about to surge as WAEC and NECO have announced that their exams will become computer based. This shift will increase the demand for Computer-Based test centres across Imo State, especially in urban and semi-urban areas where students preparing for UTME, WAEC, NECO, and other professional exams will require reliable venues to practice and write their exams.
With Imo State having a high secondary school attendance rate, the pool of students needing these services is substantial.
A Computer-Based test centre can also be used as a training hub for digital skills, a registration center for national exams like JAMB, WAEC, and NECO, a venue for online professional certifications, or even a business center offering typing, printing, and internet services, thereby maximizing its revenue potential beyond just exam seasons.
Fairly used phone sales and Repairs
Due to the low purchasing power of young Imo State indigenes who need smartphones to access the internet and stay connected for business, education and social media activities, the market for fairly used devices continues to grow.
Many youths do not mind owning Nigerian-used Chinese-branded phones like Tecno, Infinix, and Itel, as long as the devices are functional and affordable. These brands offer good performance at low prices, making them popular choices among students, small business owners, and first-time smartphone users across Imo State.
To do this business, it is essential to have a supplier or procurement agent in places like Lagos, Abuja or Port Harcourt.
Software development
If you know how to code or are ready to learn how to code, you can start a software development company in Imo State. You can build websites, mobile apps or softwares for businesses around the world by freelancing on platforms like Upwork.
You can even build your own digital products or Software as a service (SaaS) platforms and attract users across Nigeria, Africa, or even globally through the internet.
If you don’t know how to code but you have a problem or business idea that tech can solve, there’s good news for you, you can buy already made softwares or plugins for cheap on Envato and install them on a server. This is way cheaper than hiring a developer.
However, if you have the funds to spare, you can hire developers to build a custom software for you.
Construction and Real Estate
Block Moulding
The diaspora population of Imo State indigenes continues to invest heavily in real estate by building residential homes, rental properties, and commercial structures in their hometowns.
This steady flow of building projects, combined with ongoing urbanisation across Owerri, Orlu, and Okigwe, has created a strong and consistent demand for building materials, especially blocks.
Block moulding is a profitable business opportunity that requires basic equipment, space, and access to cement, sand, and water. You can start by producing blocks manually with a 6” or 9” manual block moulder before getting an automatic concrete machine.
A block moulding business can serve builders, contractors, and individual homeowners, making it an essential part of the local construction value chain.
Building Construction
There’s a booming market for building construction in Imo State, driven by investments from both locals and diaspora indigenes. There is a surge in the construction of residential homes, student hostels, event centres and more hotels 🥹.
As a civil engineer in Imo State, you can position yourself as an expert in building construction using social media. You can start by sharing videos or photos of your ongoing projects, offering construction tips, breaking down common building mistakes, and educating your audience on cost estimates, material choices, and site supervision. This builds trust, showcases your expertise, and attracts potential clients looking professionals.
You can also share insights on commercial properties that people can build and the areas in Imo State where they can strategically locate them to maximise profit.
The building construction niche is not just limited to construction engineers, there are also sub-niches like;
- Painting
- Welding
- Electrical installation
- Plumbing
- Tiling and POP
- Carpentry
Co-Working Spaces
Co-working spaces are shared, flexible work environments where individuals or businesses can rent desks or offices and work independently or collaboratively. They are ideal for freelancers, remote workers, startups, and small business owners who need a professional setting without the high cost of traditional office rentals.
With the rise in remote work, digital entrepreneurship, and freelancing, having a co-working space in major cities in Imo State is a timely and strategic business move. It caters to the growing number of young professionals, creatives, and tech-savvy individuals looking for affordable, professional, and well-equipped environments to work, collaborate, and network.
The best places to start a co-work space in Imo state are Owerri and Orlu.
Media and Entertainment
Small Scale Movie Production Studio
Before now, starting a movie production studio demanded that producers had access to large budgets, expensive equipment and complex distribution networks. With platforms like YouTube, Netflix and Facebook to handle distribution and monetisation, this is no longer the case.
Filmmakers can now shoot quality short films, web series, documentaries, using affordable equipment and edit with accessible software.
A small-scale movie production studio can create compelling stories with a small cast of less than 10 actors, using simple locations and minimal props to deliver high quality content.
The YouTube partner programme is a great start. You can upload your movies there and promote it using social media or paid ads, the more views you get, the more your earning potentials through Google Adsense.
As you make money from Google Adsense, you can invest in expensive gadgets, hire better production crews and eventually pitch or feature your films on platforms like Netflix or Amazon Prime.
Sports Media Company
Nigerians love sports but unfortunately, there are few sports media companies in the country. The few available are either individuals with limited funding or companies that cover only a handful of sports events in a select section of the country.
This leaves a huge gap in the coverage of grassroots sports. A well-structured sports media company in Imo State can fill this gap by producing high-quality content like interviews, match highlights, documentaries, and live streams, that spotlight local talent and attract viewership both locally and globally.
Imo state is surrounded by states with successful or once successful clubs in Nigeria; Heartland FC of Imo State, Enyimba FC of Abia State, Enugu Rangers, Rivers United FC of Rivers State. There are also tournaments like the Oriental Derby where Clubs in South Eastern Nigeria compete.
The Oriental Derby of 2024 was attended by more than 22,000 spectators. This reflects the strong passion for local football and signals the potential for an ecosystem where a sports media company can gain regional visibility and influence before scaling to a national audience.
By consistently covering such high-energy events, a sports media brand can build credibility, attract sponsorships, and become a voice for sports in the South-East and beyond.
Local News Blog
A lot of Imo State indigenes live in other states within Nigeria or outside the country. While they are away, they want to be kept abreast with what’s happening in Imo State.
Most established media platforms only talk about Imo State when the governor is commissioning a new project, the president is visiting or disputes from agitation groups.
Diasporan Imo indigenes want more than that. They want to know when two brothers are fighting over who will ascend the throne of Buru ego Bata Kingdom. They want an overview of what’s happening in the political landscape of Imo State, new developments within the state, pictures from festivals, gossips like when Igwe Anukanti Ejiofor impregnated the Queen’s handmaiden 🥳.
You can start a local News blog with your smartphone, the internet and knowledge of how to use social media platforms like X, Telegram, Facebook and YouTube. As your subscribers and views grow, you can get monetised on these platforms or launch your own news website and earn through display ads or premium content subscription.
Sports and Talent Development
Football Academy
Sports is a thriving industry across the world, and everyone wants a piece of the cake; especially football, which has a massive following and potential for life-changing opportunities.
Starting a football academy in Imo State can tap into the passion and talent of thousands of young people who dream of going professional. With the right coaching, facilities, and connections to scouts, talent management firms or clubs, a football academy can train and expose local talent to national and international platforms.
Beyond developing players, it also opens doors for jobs in coaching, sports management, and event organisation, making it both a social impact and income-generating venture.
There have been discussions in the football community about how Nigeria does not invest enough in grooming young local talents. This is partly true as most professional clubs in Nigeria do not have junior teams. The senior teams are still struggling so “what da hell is a junior team”? 😁
A football academy for young talents solves this problem as it gives young people the right training and feeds them to Nigerian professional clubs, where they can go on to showcase their expertise.
Football Talent Management Firm
Chidiebere loved football so much that he always found a way to play street matches with his age mates right from his primary school days against his father’s consent.
His father thought to himself “Let me leave him for now, when he’s off age, life will set in and he will know what he wants to do with his life.”
At 14 years, Chidi as he was usually called played for his community’s local football team and was popular in Umunoha and its environs. He was so good that when neighbouring communities like Eziama Obiato and Awomama wanted to win matches, they hired him as a striker from his Umunoha club.
When Eziama Obiato didn’t really want to win matches, Gozie was the striker 😞.
When Chidiebere had graduated from secondary school, he told his father that he wanted to be a professional footballer. His father was totally against this because he had not seen any successful footballer in Umunoha that he could use as a model for his son. His father doesn’t watch TV so he doesn’t see how much footballers are being paid in Europe. Even if he did, there was no one in the family that could sponsor him.
His father told him that he won’t amount to anything worthwhile if he chose Football as a career. In a bid to prove his father wrong, Chidiebere moved to Lagos in search of better football opportunities.
Eight months after joining a team in Lagos, he was approached by a scout/agent who saw his potential in a competition Chidiebere’s team participated in. In fact, Chidiebere won the Golden boot of that competition.
He and this agent reached an agreement, documents were signed, hands were shaken, pictures were taken, and the deal was signed.
After a few back and forths, Chidi was in Belgium 16 months later. He went for a trial and got signed to a Belgian club.
The agreement that Chidi signed was exploitative because a bulk of the money went back to the agent. He was willing to bear the risk because he wanted to play in Europe by all means and prove his father wrong.
After playing for the Belgian club for two years, he went on to play for other clubs in Asia and Africa with a few inactive intervals in between when his agent was searching for new clubs for him. But his agent was still exploiting him. He wanted to be free from this agent but he couldn’t because of the binding clauses in the agreement he signed.
At 32 years, Chidiebere’s dream of becoming a football star had ended, no club in Europe wanted to sign a 32 year old Nigerian who had not been training rigorously for a while.
This is not just the story of Chidiebere, it is the same for most kids from low-income backgrounds who have limited education with no adult to supervise them when signing life-changing contracts that often leave them trapped and exploited.
There are a lot of kids in Imo State with football talent; a football agency can identify these talents and act as an agent by connecting them to local clubs and negotiating favorable contracts with clubs in well-paid leagues.
Multipurpose Mini Stadium
A 500 to 3,000-seater multi purpose stadium in parts of Imo State is a smart and forward-thinking investment decision. It not only taps into the rising interest in sports and entertainment but also fills a gap in community infrastructure for different kinds of events. A multi-purpose mini stadium can serve the following purpose;
- Football matches
- Inter-school or inter-house competitions
- Village Festivals.
- Church Crusades.
- Music Concerts.
- Comedy shows.
There are many ways to monetise a multi purpose mini stadium. You can create a spot for restaurants to concession and make sales during big events.
You can also sell advertising spaces to businesses. For example, a real estate agent within the city can place adverts with her phone number for people to call her if they need apartments. A hotel can place adverts for attendees of a sporting event to check out their hotel after the match.
Thank you for reading our article on business ideas you can start in Imo State. You can also read our article on how to register a business in Nigeria.
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