AI agents for business finance: what they can and can't do
What AI agents can do in bookkeeping, close, collections and compliance today, where a person must stay in charge, and how to judge a product.
The short answer
A phone accessories business sells fast-moving, low-cost items such as chargers, cables, cases, screen guards, earphones and power banks, bought from wholesalers or importers and marked up per piece. Margins per item are small in naira but high in percentage, so profit depends on turnover and on avoiding fake or faulty stock. In the labelled example below, ₦297,000 of starter stock could earn about ₦248,000 gross if it all sells.
Almost everyone in Nigeria carries a phone, and accessories break, get lost or wear out every few months. That steady demand is why phone accessories are one of the most common small retail businesses, from a table in a market to a kiosk at a bus stop or an online shop. The barrier to entry is low, which also means competition is close and buyers compare prices quickly.
A starter stock list
Start with what sells every day, not with what looks impressive. A small range of reliable items in the most common phone types beats a wide range of rarely bought gadgets.
| Item | Qty | Example cost each | Stock cost | Example price each | Sales if all sold |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wall chargers (common fast-charge type) | 20 | ₦3,500 | ₦70,000 | ₦5,500 | ₦110,000 |
| USB cables (Type-C, Lightning, micro) | 50 | ₦800 | ₦40,000 | ₦1,500 | ₦75,000 |
| Phone cases and pouches | 60 | ₦700 | ₦42,000 | ₦1,500 | ₦90,000 |
| Screen guards, fitted | 100 | ₦250 | ₦25,000 | ₦800 | ₦80,000 |
| Wired earphones | 30 | ₦1,000 | ₦30,000 | ₦2,000 | ₦60,000 |
| Power banks | 10 | ₦9,000 | ₦90,000 | ₦13,000 | ₦130,000 |
| Total | 270 | ₦297,000 | ₦545,000 |
If everything sells, gross profit is ₦545,000 − ₦297,000 = ₦248,000, a margin of about 45% on sales. In practice some items sell in a week and others sit for months, so the real figure depends on what you reorder. Note how the low-cost items carry the percentage: screen guards earn more than three times their cost when you fit them, while power banks earn a smaller percentage but more naira per sale.
Where traders source stock
Computer Village and other wholesale markets
Computer Village in Ikeja is widely reported as Nigeria's largest phone and gadget market, with wholesalers who sell accessories by the carton. Similar wholesale clusters exist in other cities. Buy from shops that will exchange a faulty piece, test chargers and cables before you pay, and build a relationship with one or two sellers who will hold prices for repeat orders (see sourcing from Computer Village).
Importers and mini importation
Cases, cables and screen guards are light, which makes them suitable for mini importation from China through a cargo agent (see mini importation step by step). Work out your landed cost per piece first. Two legal points: counterfeit goods are on Nigeria's absolute import prohibition list, according to the US International Trade Administration's summary (updated April 2025), and finished consumer goods generally carry the 20% band of the ECOWAS Common External Tariff, per the ITA's September 2025 summary. Duty for a specific item depends on its HS code on the Customs CET Lookup Portal.
Margins and what eats them
- Faulty stock: a charger that fails in a week costs you the replacement and the customer.
- Fakes: unbranded is fine if you sell it as unbranded; selling copies as an original brand is both unlawful and a reputational risk.
- Dead stock: cases for phone models that have gone out of fashion. Buy cases in small lots for current models.
- Theft and breakage on an open table.
- Market levies and rent, which you pay whether you sell or not.
A simple rule many sellers use is to reorder only what sold in the last two weeks, and to keep no more than a month of slow items.
A month of running costs
Stock is only part of the picture. Before you sign for a spot, list the costs that come every month whether you sell or not, and work out how many items you need to sell to cover them.
- Stall rent or space fee: ₦40,000.
- Market and local government levies, averaged monthly: ₦5,000.
- Transport to restock twice a month: ₦12,000.
- Data, phone and small packaging: ₦8,000.
- Total fixed costs: ₦65,000 a month.
If your average gross profit is about ₦900 per item (₦248,000 ÷ 270 in the starter example, rounded down), you need to sell roughly 73 items a month (₦65,000 ÷ ₦900 = 72.2) just to cover these costs. Everything beyond that is your income. If you are not near that number after the first two months, change the mix, the location or the hours before you buy more stock.
Online, stall or both
A stall gets passing trade and lets buyers test items. Online selling through WhatsApp or Instagram reaches buyers who know what they want, and works well for higher-value items like power banks and smartwatches. Many sellers run both: a stall for daily sales and a WhatsApp catalogue for repeat buyers and deliveries (see selling on WhatsApp Business).
What to check first
- Which phone models are most common among your customers.
- Two or three wholesalers' prices for the same items, and their exchange policy.
- A spot with foot traffic, and the levy or rent you will pay for it.
- How you will test chargers, cables and power banks before selling.
- How customers will pay you and how you will record each sale (see POS terminal vs bank transfer).
Where Pryme fits
With a Pryme Business Account you can take payments through bank-transfer checkout (free) and see each sale recorded. Retail is one of the sectors in Spaces in Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt, and a business in a supported sector can apply to join.
Questions people ask
How much do I need to start a phone accessories business?
It depends on your range and location. The labelled example starter list costs ₦297,000 for 270 items. Add stall rent or levy, a display, and a small reserve for reorders.
What phone accessories sell fastest in Nigeria?
Chargers, cables, screen guards and cases are bought most often because they wear out or break. Power banks sell well where power cuts are frequent but cost more to stock.
What is the profit margin on phone accessories?
Percentage margins can be high on small items, but naira profit per piece is small. In the labelled example, all stock selling would give about 45% margin on sales.
Is it legal to sell copies of branded chargers?
Counterfeit goods are on Nigeria's absolute import prohibition list. Sell unbranded items openly as unbranded and buy branded items only from sources you trust.
Sources
- US International Trade Administration: Nigeria, Prohibited and Restricted Imports (published 6 Jun 2023, updated 10 Apr 2025) · accessed Oct 2026
- US International Trade Administration: Nigeria, Trade Barriers (last published 5 Sep 2025) · accessed Oct 2026
- Nigeria Customs Service: CET Tariff (links to the CET Lookup Portal) · accessed Oct 2026
This article is general information, not financial, legal or tax advice. Products described are provided under the terms on this site and are subject to regulation and eligibility.