Chances are you’re constantly obsessing about how to make money online in Nigeria, and for good reason. The Nigerian economy is stumbling, and inflation rates are skyrocketing to unprecedented levels.
But maybe there’s something for you, thanks to the Internet. Over the past two decades, the internet has changed how we work and do business. The biggest manifestation is that it’s easier than ever to connect with people who need a service and are willing to pay for it.
In this article, you’ll learn how to make money online in Nigeria. All you need — for the most part — is internet access and a device (a phone, a tablet, or a computer). To put these options into actionable contexts, we’ll draw inspiration from how real people we’ve interviewed for our Naira Life series have done it.
Here’s how to make money online in Nigeria:
1. Freelancing
2. Affiliate marketing
3. Influencer marketing
4. Social media marketing
5. E-commerce
6. Virtual assistance
7. Online tutoring
8. Crypto jobs
Let’s dig in.
1. Freelancing
If you have creative or technical skills, odds are that someone is looking to hire you on a contract basis. The best part is that you have multiple options: freelance full-time or take these gigs alongside your full-time job.
Another great thing about freelancing [or the gig economy, as it’s also called] is that there is a market for almost every skill. Are you good at writing? There are tons of content writing gigs online. What about software development, web or graphic design or translating? Nothing is off-limits.
Top freelance marketplaces like Upwork, Behance, and Fiverr connect talents with businesses that need their services. On the basic, structural level, all you need to do is create an account, apply for jobs, and get to work.
But how do you set yourself up for success?
This is how a Naira Life subject, who makes ₦1m/month from ghostwriting, is making it work, and what you can learn from it.
• Leverage an existing skill: Freelancers thrive because they have valuable skills clients are willing to pay for. This Naira Life subject recognised hers early and decided to bet on it.
“I had a considerable Facebook following — I regularly wrote short horror stories — and some of my customers came from the platform”, she said.
Subsequently, she focused on writing gigs after her Facebook audience recognised her skill, kicking things off with SEO articles even though she knew little about pricing or rates.
• Get hands-on experience: Freelancing is an incredibly competitive market, so it’s natural for clients and businesses to favour freelancers with proof of work. It’s important to build a portfolio as early as possible to get a foot in the door, and this subject did exactly that.
“I posted on Facebook offering to write for blogs for free to gain experience and build my portfolio. Several people reached out, and I wrote for them — mostly SEO articles.”
• Experiment and pivot often: Freelancing, as a business, demands a lot of experimentation. There’s hardly a consistent formula or manual for success. Therefore, freelancers who build successful operations often have to tinker with their processes, stick with what works, and change what doesn’t.
The freelancer from the Naira Life story started with SEO articles but was comfortable switching to ghostwriting.
“I was eager to drop the SEO articles because they were boring. Ghostwriting was mostly fiction, so it felt like a better model.
I worked on an average of two or three books in a month. My income varied depending on the word count — usually 30k or 50k words — and the agreed rates. Sometimes, I made ₦60k/book if the rate was ₦1.2/word and an average of ₦200k/month.”
She experimented with different genres and ghostwriting platforms before finding the right fit.
“A year later, another friend told me I could make even more money writing for myself. He explained that clients who hired ghostwriters put the books on writing platforms and made money from them. Then my friend showed me his dashboard on one of these platforms, and I saw $1,800. He said that was just his income for the month.
I was rejected thrice even though I studied the platform’s best-selling books to improve my writing. Then, a friend advised me to work on erotic stories because they performed better. I submitted a homoerotic story and got my first contract in July 2024. In the first month, I wrote 30k words and got a $50 sign-on bonus in August. I’ve written several other books across different platforms since, but the first book is still my bestseller. I’m still writing it — some platforms allow authors to take 3-6 months to complete a book — and I’ve made $3k on that one book”, she said.
• Join and learn from communities: Access to information and opportunities could be the difference between a decent and incredibly profitable freelance operation, and communities are great ways to optimise for these. This freelancer joined a WhatsApp writing community that changed their perspective on pricing and opportunities.
“I remember one [writer] said he made ₦75k for every 50k words. That’s at the rate of ₦1.5/word. I didn’t know it was possible to charge that much.”
Read the full story here: #NairaLife: How Did This 23-Year-Old 5x Her Income in One Year? Writing
2. Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing is a billion-dollar industry globally, and Nigerians are catching on. With platforms like Jumia available locally, anyone with a social media presence or website can tap into this and make money online. Affiliate marketing has a low barrier to entry but can be a reliable source of income. If you have a blog, a website or even a YouTube channel, you’re already set up to be an affiliate marketer.
Here’s how it works: Companies provide a unique link that tracks sales or clicks from your audience. The more people use your link, the more you earn.
This is how a Naira Life subject, who made ₦2m/month from affiliate marketing, is making it work, and what you can learn from it.
• Leverage social media: Use platforms like Twitter and Linkedin to share your insights, build credibility, and drive traffic to your affiliate links.
“The more I talked about travelling, the more followers I got on Twitter. So people saw me as an authority on matters of travelling and DM’d me for advice.”
• Treat it like a real job: Give your affiliate marketing efforts your full attention and work on them consistently to achieve results.
The subject credits her success to the effort she put into her affiliate marketing approach, and the results back it up.
“I made ₦500k that first month because I put my all into it. I took it as a job, and everything was organic. By the time I stopped affiliate marketing in March [2022], I’d made a total of ₦2m,” she said.
• Choose the right platform: Start by investing in a reputable affiliate marketing website to access various digital products. Then, you can build out your operations from there.
“For ₦10k, I signed up for an affiliate marketing website. On that website, there were all kinds of digital products — eBooks, courses, software, anything.”
• Diversify your product offerings: Once you’ve established a rhythm, you can consider expanding your portfolio by promoting different products that cater to various needs and interests.
“Over time, I added courses on how to pass IELTS, how to japa to the UK via school, and how to become a better copywriter. They each cost between ₦20k to ₦25k and had 50% commissions.”
Read the full story here: This Lawyer Has Made More Money From Affiliate Marketing Than Law
3. Influencer Marketing
Celebrities used to be the only people considered influencers. But that’s no longer the case — anyone with a strong online presence and engagement can sign up to become an influencer.
This gig is for you if you have a following on any of your social media accounts, such as X (formerly known as) Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, or even WhatsApp, and you are looking for a way to monetise it.
Influencer marketing is a type of word-of-mouth marketing strategy that relies on recommendations and endorsements from “influencers” — people who have built a strong presence online and engage their followers. Influencer marketing is one of the organic ways brands promote their products and services, so brands are always searching for the right talent to partner with.
How does this work? Influencers partner with brands and “sell” the products to the target audience by posting “sponsored posts” on social media platforms.
Reach and engagement are important metrics in influencer marketing. Not much might happen if you have 10k followers on Instagram but struggle to get five comments on your posts. Quality and relatable content is, for the most part, the best way to increase audience reach and engagement.
This is how a Naira Life subject, who turned his life around with influence marketing made it work, and what you can learn from it.
• Build your social media brand: It goes without saying, but you can’t be a social media influence if you don’t have an engaging social media following. Cultivating a distinctive online presence will help you find an audience, then attract bands and secure campaign gigs. That’s what this influencer did.
• Know your worth and charge confidently: The bigger your audience grows, the moe leverage you have. Take the Naira Life subject, for example; he wasn’t hesitant to raise his rates as his reputation grew, reflecting the value of his expertise.
“In 2020, more brands started reaching out to me to push their products and services. I was getting ₦100k and ₦200k gigs. It was just knowing my worth and not being afraid to charge people,” he said.
• Invest in yourself: As you begin to grow your business and have some financial leeway, it’d be helpful to funnel some of it and upgrade your work tools. This subject thinks you can hardly go wrong with that.
“2021 was the beginning of proper financial stability. I was making at least ₦300k a month from writing and influencing, but more from influencing. That’s when I bought an iPhone and MacBook.”
Read the full story here: The Grass to Grace #NairaLife of a Social Media Influencer
4. Social Media Marketing
Brands and businesses find and connect with their target audience on social media, and social media marketers own this process. A social media marketer’s job is figuring out how to use social media to promote products and services.
So, if you know how algorithms work and how to use them to boost audience reach or how to use paid advertising to hack growth, you should consider finding work in social media marketing. But remember, the end goal here is also conversion.
This is how a Naira Life subject, who went from nothing to earning $4k/month from social media marketing, made it work, and what you can learn from it
• Be open-minded and stay ready for unexpected opportunities: Opportunities in social media marketing often come from the least-expected sources. Being open to these conversations can unlock new career and income opportunities.
As the subject recalls:
“Things switched up when I ran into someone during a class – we had a mutual friend – she was ranting about all the pages that she needed to manage on social media. My friend told me she was going to ask the social media manager to offer me the gig.”
• Upskill as quickly as you can: Social media is dynamic and ever-changing, and social media marketers who invest in their knowledge set themselves up for success. The first thing this subject did was immerse herself in relevant courses, throwing herself into them and ensuring she was ready for whatever opportunity came her way.
“I couldn’t stop or sleep, and I just started courses. The first course I took was Shaw Academy’s Digital Marketing course. I can’t remember now if it was free or I got a scholarship, but it was from an ad,” she said.
• Practice relentlessly: Practical experience validates your learning. More importantly, it builds your confidence.
The subject took on real tasks for free, stating:
“My sister ran an event planning business, so I just collected her accounts and practiced.”
• Build a strong portfolio: A well-organised and relevant portfolio is critical to applying for new opportunities—it’s your visual resume.
The subject took the time to document her work meticulously. As she recalls:
“I just organised my portfolio around the work I did at the startup in detail. In fact, I made it into Google Slides.”
This highlights your accomplishments and sets you apart in a competitive job market.
Read the full story here: The #NairaLife Of A Biologist Who Ditched Lab Life For Marketing
5. E-Commerce
The Internet has changed how people shop. With the rise of e-commerce stores, more people are open to buying things online. Jumia and Konga are two of the biggest e-commerce platforms in Nigeria. However, you’re not restricted to either option. You can easily create a custom online store on e-commerce platforms like Shopify, Bumpa, and Flutterwave Store and direct your customers there.
In addition, social media platforms Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and WhatsApp have opened up a new revenue stream for business owners, and they should be part of your marketing and sales strategy. It’s also easy to set up a store on these websites — sign up, post your products, create content around them, receive orders, and fulfill them.
This is how a Naira Life subject, who makes ~₦300k from her business, made it work, and what you can learn from it
• Identify a market need: One of the first steps to setting up an e-commerce business is spotting an underserved market need. In this subject’s case, she noticed conversations about sex-related issues, specifically a gap in products for married women. This allowed her to identify her target audience and their pain points.
• Start small to test the waters: There are no assurances, so starting small is prudent. This subject initially used a dropshipping model to build her business, which allowed her to test the market without overexposing herself to risks.
“I started by dropshipping for a sex toy company. I paid ₦10k to register as a reseller, which gave me access to their website for pictures and videos of their products.”
• Know when to invest in your own inventory: Once you’ve validated your market, take control of your supply chain by investing in your own stock. For this subject, she bought her first set of products with a gift from a friend, giving her more control over what products to sell and when to sell them.
“In March, a friend gifted me $100 (about ₦50k) and I used it to buy my first set of toys.”
• Leverage digital marketing and influencer partnerships: Boost your online presence with targeted digital marketing efforts. By collaborating with bloggers and Instagram influencers, she significantly increased her sales. The reason is simple — strategic partnerships optimise your reach and credibility.
“Fast forward to October, I started reaching out to bloggers and Instagram influencers for ads. I paid ₦5k to one influencer, and ₦3k to another. That week, I made ₦150k in sales. Profit alone was about ₦100k.”
Read the full story here: #NairaLife: The Business Owner Who Struck Gold Selling Sex Toys
6. Virtual Assistance
Virtual assistants work remotely and help clients with their administrative tasks. As a virtual assistant, you make someone’s job easier and get paid for it.
You can use social media sites like LinkedIn and Facebook to find clients. Freelancing platforms like Upwork and Fiverr are also effective places to scout for your clients.
This is how a Naira Life subject, who tripled her income as a virtual assistant, made it work and what you can learn from it
• Upskill with relevant courses: Recognising the need to pivot into virtual assistance, she invested in an intensive course to learn the basics. Instead of going blind, she took advantage of a free opportunity to gain needed skills.
“I found and applied for the ALX Virtual Assistant course in May 2022. It’s discontinued now, but it was an eight-week intensive course that provided me with all I needed. The course was worth $750, but it was sponsored, so it was free for participants.”
• Build a portfolio from real projects: After completing her training, she intentionally built her portfolio from the tasks she took on during the course. The great thing that did was that it validated her capabilities to potential clients.
“I built my portfolio using the tasks I did during the ALX course.”
Although it didn’t yield immediate results, it was the first step to landing her first clients. Showing proof of work is essential.
• Use Social Media to Find Leads: Networking online is critical as a virtual assistant. She secured her first client by letting her social media network know she was open for gigs.
“I got them [my first client] in March 2023 via Twitter. Someone had tweeted about her friend needing a virtual assistant, so people tagged me under the tweet. I reached out to confirm the service needed and also shared my CV and portfolio.”
Read the full story here: She’s Juggling a 9-5 With Three Virtual Assistant Gigs. But Not for Much Longer
7. Online Tutoring
If you know a subject well enough, there’s someone out there willing to pay you to teach it. That’s the simple logic behind online tutoring.
Fortunately, the internet has made connecting teachers with students worldwide easy. The best part? You don’t need to step into a classroom. With platforms like Udemy, Teachable, and Tuteria, you can earn naira or even dollars just by sharing what you already know. But how should you think about it?
This is how a Naira Life subject, who earned ~₦8m from online tutoring, made it work, and what you can learn from it
• Lean on your existing knowledge: Start by offering tutoring in subjects/topics you’re already proficient in. In this subject’s case, knowing French and her native language drove her early tutoring gigs.
“I already knew French at the time, so I started teaching in one school, from JSS 1 to 3, with all their many classes per year.”
• Build trust through consistent content and presence: Establish your authority by consistently sharing your knowledge through videos, study materials, and social media posts. Consistent, quality content also reassures prospective clients that you know what you’re talking about.
“I kept posting across social media. I realised that it was a way to build trust. I started writing study materials. But 2018 was just the starting year, I was just building a clientele.”
• Scale up by offering structured courses: Packaging your expertise into online courses can create a stream of passive income as demand for your services grows. Once you have a proven track record, scaling up by offering courses can multiply your earnings without you having to be live every time.
“So when I finally started my online course on one of these platforms, people were waiting. Referrals came from satisfied clients.”
• Market yourself using social proof and referrals: Word-of-mouth and social media are powerful tools. Referrals from satisfied clients will definitely boost your reputation, so it’s useful to be intentional about them.
“Referrals came from satisfied clients. Someone said she saw my advert in her church WhatsApp group in the US. People abroad are my major clients”, she said.
Read the full story here: How Did She Grow Her Income By Almost 600%? Language
8. Crypto Jobs
When people think about making money from crypto — the digital currencies that started off as an experiment but have grown into asset classes — trading and investing immediately comes to mind. But these channels only work if you already own some crypto. In addition, the crypto market is deeply volatile and requires some basic understanding of the fundamentals. Nothing is promised.
However, there’s another way. As the industry grows, so does the demand for talent, opening up a new layer of online work that pays you as you build a career in the fast-growing industry. Unlike trading volatility, taking crypto jobs requires you to lean into your skills — from writing and marketing to content creation. These jobs offer you a blend of stability in a way trading crypto cannot.
This is how a Naira Life subject, who earns $1,200/month from crypto jobs, is making it work, and what you can learn from it]
• Stick with a niche: Focusing on a niche builds your expertise and helps you stand out in the industry. This will increase your chances of landing better opportunities. This was this subject’s experience — he decided to apply for writing jobs and stuck with them, even when he didn’t have many leads.
“My first steady job was writing crypto news for a website every day. I didn’t know anything about crypto, but I was interested in it for two reasons: crypto was a new technology, and it was about making money,” he revealed.
• Scour social media platforms efficiently for crypto jobs: Many crypto jobs are remote, and companies often post openings on social media platforms like X [Formerly known as Twitter], Discord, and Telegram. Actively searching and applying for roles can help you break into the industry.
“In January 2021, I finally got the crypto gig I’d been looking for. The process wasn’t elaborate — I just searched for ‘crypto writer needed.’ I applied to as many as I could until one worked out.”
• Pay attention to market cycles and use them to your advantage: The crypto market goes through two cycles — the bull run and the bear run. During bull runs, companies have more funding and higher budgets for hiring. If you’re already in the industry, you can take advantage of these periods to maximise your income.
“2021 was the height of the last bull run, so there was a lot of activity in the crypto space. A client offered to pay $50 for every 500-word press release I wrote. I was commissioned to write 30 press releases in my first month and made $1500.”
• Invest wisely in crypto: The best way to make money in crypto is to get a job in crypto. That said, investing some of your earnings into the market doesn’t hurt. Consider investing in solid crypto projects for long-term gains. Research before investing and avoid putting all your money into speculative assets.
“My strategy is to look for projects with good use cases and strong communities. These days, I also lean towards VC-backed projects. My thinking is that those are usually in for the long haul.”
Read the full story here: The #Nairalife of a Crypto Content Writer Raking in $1,200/month
Conclusion
The internet is many things these days, and a consistent income source is one of them. Many people have tapped into this, and you should, too. Remember, the general premise of how to make money online is to find an opportunity and stick with it. Hopefully, this article has given you enough information to succeed or a good place to start.
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