Bulk data sales, or data reselling, a process of purchasing internet data bundles in bulk from telecom firms (MTN, AIRTEL, GLO, etc.) and reselling them to end users in smaller quantities, has been helping many Nigerians to survive this harsh economic.
With the increasing demand for data among individuals and businesses, one can tap into this market and make a substantial income.
In January 2024, Nigerians consumed 721,522 terabytes of data, which was the highest monthly consumption ever recorded by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
The financial reports of MTN and Airtel, have revealed that each Nigerian telcos consumer spends up to 9GB of data monthly on average. For instance, MTN’s financial statement revealed that an average MTN customer spent N1,869 monthly, an increase of 16.3 per cent from N1,607 per month recorded in 2022
The process
To start with, a bulk data seller in Lagos, Abigail Agama told LEADERSHIP that one does not need any certificate to start the business. “All that is required is to link up with an agent at any or all of the telecoms companies in Nigeria.
“You will receive more discounts and a larger price reduction for the data you buy as a data reselling agency. In other words, data will be provided to you at incredibly low costs.
“You will not be able to pay for data packages in bulk or speak directly with large telecom companies (MTN, AIRTEL, GLO, 9MOBILE, etc.) if you are starting with a tiny initial investment of N50,000, which is why you will need to use an intermediary or agent..
“The agents give you a discount if you buy through them, just like with any other item. In order to increase your profit margin and market to end users, you will also be purchasing data bundles at extremely low pricing. You will therefore be able to earn because you are purchasing at a wholesale price, regardless of how much you buy,” Agama stated.
Citing an example, Agama said, normally, MTN is selling 2gb for N1,200, adding that, “I get 2gb below N500 from my agent and resell to end-users as low as N700.
“With this, I have made profit of N200. The least data I have ever sold per day was 200gb per day, of which i was able to make a profit of about N20,000 in one day. Imagine making N20,000 per day, in a week, you will be able to make about N100,000. That is not bad at all. Data is indeed the new oil business.”
Secret to more profit
“Data is life, and as such, you do not need to sweat before you sell It, Agama said, “however, people will not get to know about your business if you do not tell them or use your various social media platforms to market yourself. Don’t forget, your profit depends on the people that patronise you. So, try to market your products.”
Sharing her success story, Agama said, she created a whatsapp group, where she added her family members, friends and colleagues. “People place their order at the Whatsapp group. You can do the same by inviting people to join your WhatsApp group.
“Making as high as N20,000 daily through data sales in Nigeria requires careful planning, effective marketing, excellent customer service, and continuous efforts to scale your business. By leveraging the right data provider, pricing strategy, marketing channels, and customer service, along with marketing your business through your WhatsApp group, you can increase your chances of success in the data reselling business,” Agama stated.
