Mr. Akin Alabi is a Nigerian politician, an entrepreneur, and an author. He is the founder of NairaBet, Nigeria’s first sports betting company.

In the book, How To Sell To Nigerians: Sell More of Your Products In The Next 30 Days Than You Did In The Last 300 Days, Mr. Akin shares his proven strategies and ideas on how to navigate the Nigerian market.


Understanding the rationality behind decision-making of Nigerians will sell your products or services faster, gain you more customers and have your own share of Nigerian market. Nigerian consumers are not regular consumers, they have special characteristics that must mastered putting your products and services before them.

The lessons are below:

1. Nigerians are impatient and don’t pay attention to details, so if you want to sell to Nigerians be ready for dumbiest and laziest questions from your customers. You will have to “over-explain” yourself to your customers and potential customers.

2. Sell quality products. Quality products give you confidence and earn you trust from your customers and potential customers.

3. Before you decide on what product to sell, you must be sure that it is a product people are asking and want to buy.

4. Nigerians love “awoof!” Create a business environment and strategy that make it look like your customers are ripping you off.

5. Do not put pressure on your family members and friends to patronize your business. They shouldn’t be your target customers.

6. Never put “NO Refunds” on your bio on social media. Putting it on your bio means your products cannot be trusted.

7. Nigerians love bonuses, so offer bonuses to your customers. The bonuses must be related to your products.

9. Offer your customers money back guarantee even it is for a limited time.

10. Nigerians love panic-buying. In your adverts, create a fear-factor. Let them know the negative consequences of buying from your competitors.

11. Learn how to write (or hire someone) a sales letter. That will boost your sales through advertisement.

12. Do not not sell a product you have not tried.

13. Nigerians love stories. Create a storytelling around your product. Stories sell a product faster.

14. Use Positive comments and testimonials on social media to promote your business, and use negative comments to improve your product or service.

15. Use influencers to promote your products if you have the resources. Or you can give some influences your products free to hype your product on their pages.

16. Create an enabling environment for customer-staff relationship.

17. Simply add delivery fee to your product price instead of telling your customers to pay for delivery. Your customers would not know they are the ones paying for the delivery.

18. Build a list of those that buy from you. Their emails, phone numbers, or other means of reaching their. Having this list makes it easy for your digital business.

20. Use lotteries and raffles to create awareness and draw a few customers to your business.

21. When you sell luxury products, offer luxurious customer relations. Treat people who pay for luxurious products and services like kings and queens before and after your exchange of products or services.