How to Start Herbal Tea Business in Nigeria

Herbal teas are beverage drinks made from herbs and fruits. Other infusions include plant materials and spices. They are different from de-caffeinated teas made from cured leaves.

The tea industry is huge because people are now gravitating towards healthier lifestyle. The first step is to create, register and label the product. You need extensive testing to check for side effects.

Health Risks

Despite claims herbal products have some health risks. Herbal teas are generally safe however some contain alkaloids.

Some common side effects are nausea, dizziness and vomiting. Medical herbs are abortifacients and unsuitable for pregnant women. They are also issues of contaminants in the products.

• Nausea
• Dizziness
• Vomiting
• abortifacient
• tea bag making. 
•  The herbal oil production

 Herbal Tea Composition

The ingredients in herbal teas are different based on the manufacturer specification. Common ingredients are dried elderberries, ginger, apple and papaya. Others are cardamom, mallow, lemon grass and peppermint.

• dried elderberries
• ginger
• apple
• papaya
• cardamom
• mallow
• lemon grass
• peppermint

Types of Herbal Tea

There are different verities of herbal tea. You have Coca tea, burdock, bee balm and cinnamon. More include Chinese knot-weed, Boldo, Fennel, Dill and Ginseng.

• Coca tea
• Burdock
• bee balm
• cinnamon
• Chinese knot-weed
• Boldo
• Fennel
• Dill
• Ginseng

Supplies

You need a steady supply of raw materials. Make sure you use quality herbs and spices. Common sources are organic farmers, supermarkets and grocery stores.

Register the Business

Register the business as a Limited Liability Company. You need liability insurance and tax identification number.

You can patent the products name and include indications on the packaging. Register the product with National Food and Drug Administration (NAFDAC).

Build an Ecommerce Website

You need an ecommerce site to sell your products. The site could target a geographical location or the world.

Select a domain name and host plan to build your website. Add images of the product, description, ingredients and price. Include an office address, email and telephone number.

Funding

The amount of money you need depends on your business plan. The funding goes into supplies, equipment, manufacturing and marketing.

Get funds through target savings or borrow from friends and family. Try bank of industry or any commercial bank

Herbal Medicine Regulation Pertaining to Advertisement

The National Food and Drug Administration is the regulatory agency for herbal products. They have guidelines for cosmetics, household products and herbal medicine.

Herbal tea falls in the jurisdiction of herbal medicine. The herbal medicine should be registered with (NAFDAC). It must be given pre-clearance and approval by the agency.

The advertisement should not proclaim a cure but shall accurately present visual, text and general layout. The artwork contains botanical name, dosage form and place of manufacture.

It should have location address of manufacturer, address of local distributor and date of first introduction to the market. It needs a registration certificate, validity period and information to asses risk or benefits.

The package must not have misleading information, half truths, vague innuendos and false impression. The package shall not contain words to induce the continuous use of the medicine. A penalty for defaulters is N50, 000 for individuals and N100, 000 corporate bodies.

Marketing

The marketing requirement is huge because of serious competition. Place advertisement in newspaper or health/lifestyle magazine. Use flyers, stickers, posters or banners.