What you’ll need

• A registered business — CAC registration is the baseline for dealing with any supplier. Check a name and register here.
• Working capital for stock. Water moves fast but earns little per pack, so cash flow and restocking rhythm matter more than a large one-off purchase.
• Clean, dry storage out of direct sunlight, with room to rotate stock properly. Estimate the space you need.
• Delivery capacity — water is heavy, so vehicle capacity and route planning are central rather than incidental.
• A defined territory and real knowledge of the shops, offices and events in it.

How much does it cost to start?

There’s no honest single figure, and be wary of anyone who gives you one without knowing your situation. Your real requirement depends on your territory, the volume you plan to move, and whether you’re renting storage and vehicles or using a partner’s. The number that matters most isn’t a joining fee — it’s the working capital to keep restocking while your money sits in stock and receivables. Tell our team your plans and we’ll help you build a realistic figure rather than a guess.

Is water distribution profitable?

It can be, but only on volume and discipline. Margins per pack are slim, so profitability comes from buying well, keeping delivery routes tight, minimising stock that sits, and holding onto customers through reliability. Operators who treat it as a logistics business do well; those expecting easy margins usually don’t.

Two routes in

The first is an official distributorship, granted through the bottling and distribution system that produces Aquafina in Nigeria. It’s the formal route, with territories and volume commitments set by the bottler, and it takes genuine capacity to qualify.

The second is to start trading now: register with Wigmore, buy bottled water and other fast-moving drinks at wholesale, and supply your own customers with our warehousing and logistics behind you. It’s faster, lower-barrier, and it builds exactly the track record that makes a future official application credible. Register above to get going.

Tips that matter in this trade

• Guard your cash flow. Thin margins punish slow collection — know your real cycle before extending credit.
• Never let a good account run dry. Reliability is what keeps shops loyal when everyone sells the same water.
• Plan routes tightly. On a heavy, low-value product, delivery efficiency is most of your margin.
• Rotate stock and check dates. Packaged water carries best-before dating and needs first-in-first-out handling.
• Verify NAFDAC registration on everything you handle, and store it to the required standard.