Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
Business Central is the right next step for a Nigerian company that has outgrown QuickBooks or Zoho Books because purchasing, warehouses and approvals now live outside the ledger. Budget ₦110,000–₦151,000 per full user per month at list, plus a Lagos or Abuja partner for setup, Nigerian VAT and WHT reports and NRS e-invoicing connectivity.
Last verified 28 Oct 2026 · Reviewed by Accounting Software Africa editorial, Publisher editorial desk. Tax figures are cited to the Nigeria Tax Act 2025. Assign a named ICAN reviewer in this field before treating a page as a signed professional opinion.
- Product kind
- All-in-one
- Made in
- Denmark (Navision lineage) / United States
- Headquarters
- United States
- Founded
- 2018
Strengths
- Not African-made
- Accounting plus inventory in one ERP
- Microsoft 365 and Excel integration
- Large partner network
What it actually is
Business Central is the step up from QuickBooks, Xero or Sage for companies that now need purchasing, warehouses, item costing and approvals inside the ledger. It grew out of Navision, runs in Microsoft’s cloud, and is configured by a partner who also usually supplies the African country localisation.
Features
| Feature | Coverage | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Double-entry ledger | Core strength | Dimensions, deferrals, multiple companies in one tenant. |
| Inventory | Core strength | Locations, item costing methods (FIFO, average, standard), assembly; manufacturing on Premium. |
| Approvals | Strong | Purchase and payment approval workflows built in. |
| Multi-currency | Strong | Exchange-rate adjustment batch revalues open entries. |
| Financial reports | Strong | Financial reporting, Excel round-trips and Power BI apps. |
| Fixed assets | Strong | Fixed asset register and depreciation books. |
| Bank feeds | Present | Bank reconciliation with statement import; live feeds depend on the bank and a partner connector. |
| E-invoicing | Present | eTIMS, GRA E-VAT and NRS connectors exist from partners/AppSource, not from Microsoft. |
| VAT | Present | VAT posting setup is flexible; local return reports come from the partner. |
| Payroll / PAYE | Limited | Payroll is a partner extension per country, or an external payroll posted as journals. |
| Accountant portal | Present | Free External Accountant licence. |
Africa reach
| Countries | Presence |
|---|---|
 Nigeria | Partner-led |
 Ghana | Partner-led |
 Kenya | Partner-led |
 South Africa | Partner-led |
Pricing
| Plan | Amount | Billing | Includes | As of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essentials (per full user) | ₦109,651 | Monthly | $80/user/month list. Finance, sales, purchasing, inventory, projects, multiple companies. | 28 Oct 2026 |
| Premium (per full user) | ₦150,770 | Monthly | $110/user/month list. Adds manufacturing and service management. | 28 Oct 2026 |
| Team Member | ₦10,965 | Monthly | $8/user/month list. Approvals, read access, light edits. | 28 Oct 2026 |
Compliance
| Requirement | Status | Note | Verified on |
|---|---|---|---|
| E-invoicing | Via third party | NRS e-invoicing needs a partner connector or an accredited Access Point integration. | 28 Oct 2026 |
| VAT filing | Partial | 7.5% VAT posting groups are standard set-up; the return layout is a partner report. | 28 Oct 2026 |
| WHT | Partial | Withholding is handled with posting setups or a localisation extension. | 28 Oct 2026 |
| PAYE | Via third party | No Microsoft Nigerian payroll; use SeamlessHR or similar and post journals. | 28 Oct 2026 |
| Local COA | Supported | Fully configurable chart and dimensions. | 28 Oct 2026 |
| Multi-currency | Supported | USD/NGN with exchange-rate adjustment batches. | 28 Oct 2026 |
| Bank feeds | Partial | Statement import; live feeds from Nigerian banks are partner-built. | 28 Oct 2026 |
Best for
- Distributors and manufacturers with stock in more than one location
- Companies that need purchase approvals inside the ledger
- Microsoft 365 shops that live in Excel and Teams
Not suitable for
- A ten-person services firm with no inventory
- Anyone without budget for a partner implementation
- Groups needing heavy multi-entity consolidation (look at Dynamics 365 Finance or NetSuite)
Local support
Microsoft sells Business Central in Nigeria through partners in Lagos and Abuja; Microsoft itself does not implement. Partner quality varies — ask for two Nigerian references running inventory, not just finance.
Migration notes
Plan a 10–16 week project for a typical distributor: chart redesign, opening balances, open AR/AP, item master and stock count. Run the old system in parallel for one month-end; cut over at a quarter end so VAT and WHT periods do not split.
What does Business Central cost in naira?
At ₦1,370.64 per dollar, Essentials is about ₦109,651 per full user per month and Premium about ₦150,770. Ten finance and operations users on Essentials is roughly ₦13.2m a year before VAT, partner fees and add-ons. Team Member licences (about ₦10,965) are how approvers and warehouse staff get access cheaply.
When does a Nigerian company actually need it?
Three signals: purchase orders are approved on WhatsApp and keyed later; stock sits in more than one warehouse and month-end valuation is a spreadsheet; and the finance team re-keys sales from a separate invoicing or POS tool. Business Central puts purchasing, inventory and the ledger in one database, so the stock figure on the balance sheet is the stock figure in the warehouse.
How does it handle naira volatility?
Vendors and customers can carry their own currency. The exchange-rate adjustment job revalues open payables and receivables at the rate you load, posting unrealised FX gains and losses — the job most Nigerian SMEs do by hand on a USD supplier ledger.
What do partners add for Nigeria?
VAT and WHT reporting layouts, an e-invoicing connector for NRS, bank statement formats for Nigerian banks, and payroll integration. Ask your partner which of these are their own extensions, which are from AppSource, and who supports them after go-live.
Business Central or Dynamics 365 Finance?
Business Central for one to a handful of companies and up to roughly 300 users. Dynamics 365 Finance for groups with many legal entities, complex consolidations, and an internal IT team — at about 2.6× the licence cost per user.
Business Central in Nigeria: common questions
Is Business Central available in Nigeria?
Yes, through Microsoft partners. There is no Microsoft-shipped Nigerian localisation; partners add VAT, WHT and e-invoicing pieces.
Can Business Central run Nigerian payroll?
Not natively. Use a Nigerian payroll product and post the payroll journal into Business Central.
Sources
- Microsoft — Business Central 28 Oct 2026
- ERP Research — Business Central pricing 2026 28 Oct 2026
- Nigeria Tax Act 2025 28 Oct 2026
- CBN official rate (Monierate) 28 Oct 2026
Keep reading
- Business Central vs Dynamics 365 Finance
Which Microsoft ERP fits a Nigerian company.
- When to move from accounting software to ERP
The signals, costs and project plan.
- SAP Business One in Nigeria
The other partner-led mid-market ERP.
Related in Nigeria
- When to move from accounting software to ERP in Nigeria
- How to choose accounting software in Nigeria
- Withholding tax in Nigeria 2026
- Nigeria e-invoicing in 2026
- Chart of accounts for Nigerian SMEs
- VAT in Nigeria 2026: 7.5% and the registration line
- CIT small-company test Nigeria 2026
- PAYE in Nigeria 2026: NTA 2025 bands