The verdict in three sentences
A professional online store in Lagos costs between ₦800,000 and ₦2,500,000 to build depending on the tier, plus ₦25,000 to ₦90,000 per month in recurring charges. The bulk of the budget is not design but payment integration and delivery logistics. Managed well, an entry-level store reaches break-even in 6 to 12 months.
Build cost: what you pay once
The one-off budget depends on feature depth. Here are 2026 order-of-magnitude figures for an e-commerce store in Nigeria, with Paystack and Flutterwave integrated natively.
| Line item (one-off) | Entry | Growth | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Design + integration | ₦800,000 | ₦1,600,000 | ₦2,500,000 |
| Product catalog | up to 50 | unlimited | unlimited |
| Integrated payments | Paystack | + Flutterwave | multi-currency |
| Custom design | adapted template | semi-custom | fully bespoke |
| Admin training | 2 h | 4 h | full day |
| Delivery timeline | 2-3 weeks | 4-5 weeks | 6-8 weeks |
The entry tier (₦800,000 to ₦1,200,000) covers 90% of a starting merchant's needs: catalog, cart, mobile checkout and card/transfer collection.
Recurring costs: the real running budget
Many founders forget the monthly charges, yet they determine the store's actual profitability.
| Recurring charge | Monthly range | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Managed hosting | ₦15,000 - ₦60,000 | depends on traffic and images |
| Technical maintenance | ₦20,000 - ₦80,000 | updates, fixes, security |
| Paystack fees | 1.5% per transaction | capped per transaction |
| Domain .com.ng | ~₦1,200/month | annual fee amortized |
| Transactional SMS | ₦8,000 - ₦30,000 | confirmations and tracking |
| Indicative monthly total | ₦25,000 - ₦90,000 | excluding ads |
On revenue of ₦3,000,000/month, Paystack fees at 1.5% amount to ₦45,000: a line you cannot ignore in your margins.
Mini case study
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Awa, who runs a cosmetics store in Lekki, invests ₦1,100,000 in an entry store and carries ₦45,000/month in charges. With an average basket of ₦12,000 and a 35% net margin, each order earns her ₦4,200. To cover monthly charges she needs about 11 orders/month. At 60 orders/month (2 a day) she generates ₦252,000 in margin, minus ₦45,000 in charges, or ₦207,000 net. Her ₦1,100,000 investment is recovered in under 6 months.
FAQ
Can I build a cheaper store for ₦250,000?
Yes, with a generic template and no native mobile-money-style checkout, but you lose the automatic, high-converting payment experience African buyers expect. The price gap is recouped within a few months of lost sales.
Are Paystack fees really 1.5%?
As a 2026 order of magnitude, merchant fees sit around 1.5% per transaction, sometimes capped. On high volumes, a preferential rate is negotiable.
How long before I recoup the investment?
For a well-launched entry store, payback typically falls between 6 and 12 months. The decisive factor is qualified traffic, not the cost of the site.
Do I have to pay maintenance every month?
Yes, strongly recommended: security patches, backups and payment compatibility keep evolving. An unmaintained store becomes vulnerable and loses sales during checkout bugs.
Let's talk about your project. We prepare a transparent, itemized quote for your online store in Lagos, build and recurring costs included. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
