As a business person, you’re most of the time presented with situations in which you are expected to fashion out measures to surmount the challenge of sourcing for finance. And you can only overcome this challenge if you possess the necessary information relating to available sources of fund for business. And also, if you have the skills require for efficient combination of the different types of financing.

The available sources of financing include taking loans from banks, entering into hire purchase agreements, re-investing your earned profits, listing your business on the capital market, and entering into a lease contract. The lease contract or leasing option will form our subject of interest in this article.

A lease is a contract between two parties, the lessor (owner of the asset) and the lessee. The lessor grants the lessee an exclusive right to use an asset for a stipulated period in exchange for periodic payments.  Leasing is similar to a hire purchase agreement. But it differs in that in a lease there is no requirement for an initial deposit. This feature makes a lease, one of the best financing options you can access easily on liquidity and when you’re not able to meet up with age-long requirements for accessing a bank loan.

Leasing Company can provide you with the so much-needed boost that your business required for getting off the ground without so much hassle regarding sourcing for capital financing. In this article, I’ll show you top 10 leasing companies in Nigeria that can offer you all the necessary leasing services you need to grow your business. But before then, let’s look at some advantages of seeking for a lease option in catering for your business financial needs.

Advantages of seeking for Lease option

Some of the advantages of seeking for a lease option in catering for your business financing needs include:

• Leasing is one of the cheapest sources of financing you can access
• Lease rentals for example are treated as operating expenses and this offers you an opportunity to reduce your taxes. Note: Tax reduction is not synonymous with tax avoidance.
• With a lease, especially a finance lease, you can easily replace assets with those that possess the latest technology. Therefore, you do not bear the risk of obsolescence on the asset.
• Lease arrangements do not require complex procedures and that saves you a lot of your time.
• As with the case of a sale-and-lease-back form of lease, a lease allows you to free up capital for other projects.

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10 Leasing Companies in Nigeria and their locations

John Holt Plc

John Holt Plc is one of the top leasing companies in Nigeria which is listed on the Nigeria Stock Exchange as a public company.

If you require air conditioners, electricity generators, or boats of various capacities John Holt is a choice you can consider to provide your business with such assets on lease through its John Holt Cooling division which doubles as the operational lease unit of the group. The company however makes it clear on its website that its marine vessels are only available on an operating lease arrangement.

In terms of quality, you can rely on their equipment as they have been ISO 9001 certified, with its boats built with technical assistance from Yamaha Motor Company, Japan, and they will also be on hand to provide you with technical assistance regarding the installation and maintenance of the equipment you lease from them.

Among the equipment available  on lease from the company include electricity generators ranging from 12.5KVA to 2200KVA capacity; air conditioners of various capacities including 1HP, 1.5HP and 2HP for window and split units, 3HP to 10HP for package units, and other cooling systems which are suited for large spaces such as cinemas and banking halls; light marine vessels which include the A30PD crew boat, Slingsby Advance Composite and Air Cushioned Vehicle (Hovercraft), and supply vessels, utility vessels, crew vessels, anchor handling vessels, tug boat and barges for heavy marine vessels, just to mention a few.

Location: John Holt Plc has a wide network of branches covering over twenty-six (26) locations nationwide including Sokoto, Kaduna, Jos, Abuja, Ibadan, Ondo, Benin City, Warri, Enugu, Calabar, Port Harcourt, and its headquarters in Lagos.

C & I Leasing Plc

Another major company in leasing industry is C & I leasing Plc. C & I leasing Plc is licensed by the Central Bank of Nigeria to offer operating and finance leases and as well as other related services. It operates through its three major divisions which are Fleet management, Outsourcing, and Marine Services.

According to a statement credited to a news post on the Guardian Newspaper website, the company through its C&I Petrotech Marine subsidiary owns over twenty vessels consisting of crew boats, pilot boats, tug boats, patrol boats, and platform support vessels.

Through its partnership with Hertz, the number one car rental company in the United States, you can also obtain vehicles on a short and long-term basis. Among its fleet of vehicles which are available on lease to individuals and corporate bodies are salon cars, exotic cars, SUVs, pickups, mini-busses, and large buses, to mention a few.

It may interest you to know that you have the option of leasing the vehicles from their stable along with their professional chauffeurs. If security challenges form part of your concerns, they are also on hand to offer escort services by providing you with chase vans and armed personnel.

Location: The Company’s locations and branch offices include:

• 3, Oyefeso Avenue, Savoil B/stop Obanikoro, Lagos
• Leasing House, Off Oginigba-Elekahia Link Road, Trans Amadi Industrial Layout, Port Harcourt
• 2nd Floor Nigeria Reinsurance Building, Plot 784A, Beside Unity Bank|Herbert Macaulay Way, Central Business District, Abuja
• Suite 5, Venetian Mall, Murtala Muhammed Highway, Calabar
• 9,Ikwuato Street, off ik Avenue Behind MTN Uwani, Enugu
• 1, Emovon Crescent off Ihama Road, GRA, Benin City
• LEASAFRIC – No. 5 East Legon, Tetteh Quarshie-Legon Road, Accra-Ghana

SCOA Plc

SCOA Plc is a company with various interests which it pursues via its different business divisions namely: SCOA Motors, SCOA Construction, SCOA Medical, and SCOA Equipment. Therefore, you can take advantage of its lease offers which are available especially through its SCOA Motors division.

SCOA Motors, according to the company’s website has among its major product offerings SCOA Motor Leasing Services which provides your business the following: fleet management; trade-in; leasing (with buy-back and without buy-back after 24/36 months in operation); provision of drivers; and service and repairs. The company, therefore, provides you with a one-stop-shop for leasing vehicles for your business and personal needs.

If you’re starting a transportation business or require vehicles to convey your staff or students of your school, SCOA Plc will provide you with a solution as they have among their vehicle range commercial vehicles that are well suited for your line of business.

Location: SCOA Plc has its Head Office at 156 Isolo/Oshodi Expressway, Mushin Lagos and branches offices across Lagos.

Lambic Technical & General Services Ltd

Lambic Technical & General Services Ltd is a leasing company with a difference. Its leasing services and solutions extend to heavy-duty equipment for all sectors and it has become household name in Nigeria oil and gas industry. So whatever sector business you operate, you’ll definitely find among their offers an item that will be of benefit to your business.

They lease out buses, vans, patrol vehicles, trucks, cranes, and lifting equipment. They also claim to be capable of providing any model of the aforementioned depending on your specifications anywhere within the West African region.

Locations: Lambic Technical & General Services Ltd Company’s offices are in Ghana with a wider coverage across West Africa. Within Nigeria, their branch network spans Lagos, Warri, Aba, Abuja, with their head office and workshop located in Port Harcourt.

Cavmont Offshore Container Leasing Ltd

Cavmont Leasing Ltd is a leasing company that focuses on catering for offshore oil and gas container requirements within the entire West African region operating from their base in Port Harcourt.

If your business involves oil and gas and what you require are assets to transport your industrial materials, equipment, and waste, their fleet of offshore containers (open and closed); offshore cargo basket and pipe carriers; offshore chemical tanks and intermediate bulk carriers; and offshore skips and waste recycling, which all meet DVN2.7-1/EN standards are available to you on lease basis both short-term and long-term.

Location: Cavmont Leasing Ltd company’s offices are located in the entire West Africa. In Nigeria, they’re based in Port Harcourt. They also have offices in Ireland and London.

STI Leasing Ltd

STL leasing Company prides itself as an emerging leader in the Nigerian leasing market. Their focus is one hundred percent on corporate leasing and they also offer on lease, land for your business operations.
STI Leasing Ltd is also available to lease to you the equipment that your business desperately requires.

One outstanding aspect of STI Leasing Ltd is that they also operate a Sale and Lease Back service through which you can sell to them assets that you own and still benefit from the usage of that asset as it is leased back to you by the company, therefore allowing you the opportunity to free up capital for other more pressing projects.

Locations: STI Leasing Limited is located at 22 Keffi Street, Off Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos Nigeria

West African Leasing Services Ltd

West African Leasing Services Ltd is a company that services the mining, oil and gas, and construction industries. WALS Ltd offers your company equipment such as compressors, welding machines, and an array of other industrial equipment that you need to actualize your operational goals and objectives. The company goes beyond just leasing these equipment, they also provide your business upon request, with supervisors and operators to man such equipment. This allows you to save on costs associated with downtime that may result from the process of recruiting the needed manpower and also the cost of training that may be required to update your personnel as regards the operation and handling of the equipment leased.

Locations: West African Leasing Services Ltd is located at Wals Close, Trans Amadi, Port Harcourt, Rivers, Nigeria and it’s a subsidiary of SNL Technologies LLC in New Jersey and USA.

Aquila Leasing Ltd

Aquila Leasing Ltd is a first class leasing company that was established in 2008 and has among its list of clients Nigerian Bottling Company, Huawei Technologies, LM Ericsson, and Stanbic IBTC.

Do not be bothered by the big names listed above, as the company states on its website that its finance lease portfolio currently constitutes about 36% of disbursements to cooperatives and trade associations. It also runs a scheme targeted at civil servants through collaboration with the Lagos state government and plans an extension to other states of the federation.

Therefore, if your business is still a budding one in its infancy or you are a retiree looking forward to floating your own business, it is evident from the above that Aquila Leasing is SME friendly and well disposed to supporting your business ideas.

Among the many assets which you can lease from them include industrial machinery, IT hardware, vehicles including trucks, power generators, etc. Under its operating lease arrangement for vehicles, the company maintains responsible for maintenance and providing insurance cover, among other things.

Locations: The Company is located at:

• Head Office. Plot 161D Raufu Taylor Close. Off Idejo Street. Victoria Island, Lagos state.
• Port Harcourt Office. 13, Finima Street. Old GRA, Port Harcourt. Rivers State.
• Abuja Office. SF 12, Olive Plaza, Banex. Wuse II, Abuja FCT.

Churchgate Group

Although Churchgate Group is a company with primary interest in real estate development, its activities span across other sectors of the economy including the leasing of warehouses. It prides itself as being the number one player in the area of providing warehouses on lease basis to clients.

Among its major clients are Associated Textile Manufacturing Company Ltd, Reliance Mills Ltd, etc. So if what you need is a warehousing facility for your business operations, this company offers you with the solution that you require.

Locations: Churchgate group is located at Churchgate Towers, PC 30 Churchgate Street, [formerly Afribank Street], Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria. It international affiliates are located at Mumbai, India; Platinum Exports Pvt. Ltd., 112 Maker Chambers VI Nariman Point, Mumbai 400 021.

OMATEK Ventures Plc

OMATEK Ventures Plc is not primarily into leasing business in Nigeria. The company is registered as a computer and accessories manufacturing/assembling outfit. However, in my attempt to update you with companies that provide lease contracts across diverse aspects of the economy, I have included this company to this list.

As part of its model to guarantee easy penetration of the nation’s economy into the digital space, the company conceived the Omatek eXpress Initiative in 2004 to ensure flexibility in the acquisition of computers and businesses through a payment plan which spans between 12 to 24 months under a lease arrangement.

As outlined in the company’s website, the objectives of the initiative include among others, the following:

• To ease the acquisition mode of every Nigerian towards owning computers
• To enhance the density of ICT users and technocrats, thereby improving the knowledge economy sphere and scope.

So, if the challenge you faced is the acquisition of computers, then OMATEK Ventures Plc is a sure bet for you.

Locations: Omatek Ventures Plc is located at 11 Kudirat Abiola way, Oregun, Lagos, Nigeria

Finally, in starting, building and diversifying of your business; you’ll have some items that require substantial financing. Such Items like acquiring business premises, equipment and machinery which are vital to keep your business operations running at desired capacity requires capital financing.  Accessing the substantial financing for these items at reduced interest rate with agreeable terms and conditions is crucial to the success of your business. You can try any of above listed 10 leasing companies in Nigeria for your business financing.

If you have any question relating to leasing companies in Nigeria, feel free to ask using the comment box below.