How to Host a WordPress Website in Nigeria (Step by Step)

Short answer: to host a WordPress website in Nigeria, register a domain (for example .com.ng from ₦10,000 a year), buy WordPress hosting (₦3,000/month), let SiloLobby set WordPress up for you, then choose a theme, create your pages and install a few essential plugins. You can be online the same day without writing code.

WordPress is the most popular way to build a website because it is free, flexible and supported by a huge community of themes, plugins and developers. This guide takes you from nothing to a live, secure WordPress site, with the settings and plugins that matter for Nigerian businesses.

What you need

• A domain name, such as yourbusiness.com.ng.
• WordPress hosting (or shared hosting) to run the site.
• An hour or two to set up your first pages.

Step 1: choose and register your domain

Your domain is your address online. For a Nigerian business, .com.ng and .ng are trusted and affordable; .com suits international audiences. See how to register a .com.ng domain and how to choose a domain name.

Step 2: choose WordPress hosting

Both include free SSL, unlimited email accounts and unlimited MySQL databases. If you plan to run other kinds of sites too, shared hosting also runs WordPress perfectly well.

Get WordPress hosting →

Step 3: get WordPress set up

With WordPress hosting, your site is set up for you. Your WordPress admin address (usually yourdomain.com/wp-admin) and login details are in your client area.

On regular shared hosting, you can install WordPress yourself from cPanel in a few clicks (the Softaculous add-on makes this especially quick).

Step 4: check SSL and basic settings

1. Visit your site and check that it loads with https:// and the padlock. Free SSL is installed automatically.
2. In WordPress, go to Settings → General. Make sure both the WordPress Address and Site Address start with https://. Set your site title, tagline and timezone (Lagos).
3. Go to Settings → Permalinks and choose Post name, so your page addresses are readable (yourdomain.com/services rather than ?p=123).
4. Under Settings → Reading, keep "Discourage search engines" unticked when you are ready to launch.

Step 5: choose a theme

Your theme controls the look of your site. Choose one that is:

• lightweight, so pages load fast on mobile data,
• well maintained, with regular updates and good reviews,
• compatible with the block editor, so you can edit visually.

Avoid "nulled" (pirated) premium themes: they often contain malware.

Step 6: install the essential plugins

Keep plugins to the ones you need. Every plugin is code that must be updated, and outdated plugins are the most common way WordPress sites are hacked.

Step 7: create your key pages

• Home: what you do, who you serve, why choose you, and how to contact you, all visible without scrolling far.
• About: your story, team and experience.
• Services or Products: what you sell, with prices where you can.
• Contact: phone, WhatsApp, email, address and a map.
• Privacy policy: WordPress includes a starting template.

Step 8: make it fast for Nigerian visitors

• Compress images before uploading (aim for under 200 KB for most photos).
• Turn on caching.
• Avoid heavy sliders and auto-playing videos on the home page.
• Test your site on a phone using mobile data, not just office Wi-Fi.

Step 9: connect business email

Create addresses like hello@yourbusiness.com.ng in cPanel, and connect them to your phone. Configure WordPress to send its emails (contact forms, orders) through a proper SMTP service so they do not land in spam. See how to send email from your website with SMTP.

Step 10: launch and get found

1. Add your site to Google Search Console and submit your sitemap.
2. Create or update your Google Business Profile with your website.
3. Share your site on your social profiles and WhatsApp Business.

Keeping your WordPress site healthy

• Update WordPress, themes and plugins every week.
• Use strong passwords and two-factor login for admin accounts.
• Delete unused plugins and themes.
• Keep backups somewhere other than the server.
• Check your contact form works every month.

Read the full website security checklist.

Would you rather have it built for you?

Our team can design and build your WordPress website, including the domain and hosting for the first year. See website development.

Recommended WordPress settings checklist

• Site title and tagline set
• Timezone set to Lagos
• Permalinks set to "Post name"
• Both site addresses use https
• Search engine visibility on (when you launch)
• Comments turned off or moderated if you do not need them
• Default "Sample Page" and "Hello world" post deleted
• Admin username is not "admin"
• Two-factor login turned on for administrators
• Automatic minor updates turned on

Building an online store on WordPress

If you plan to sell, WooCommerce turns WordPress into a full shop:

1. Install WooCommerce and run its setup wizard (currency: Nigerian naira).
2. Install the Paystack or Flutterwave plugin and connect your account.
3. Set up delivery zones and fees for the areas you serve.
4. Add products with clear photos and descriptions.
5. Place test orders in test mode before going live.

See the full online store checklist.

How much will WordPress cost each year?

Troubleshooting common WordPress problems

Summary

Hosting a WordPress website in Nigeria is straightforward: register a domain, choose WordPress hosting, check SSL and settings, pick a lightweight theme, install a handful of essential plugins, and create your key pages. Keep everything updated and backed up, and your site will serve your business for years.