Originally published on November 2019, this blog post has recently been updated for 2020.
Despite being the largest economy in Africa and having an ever-growing GDP, Nigeria suffers from persistent double-digit inflation rates that lead to their currency plunging in value. Moreover, the lack of jobs contributes to Nigeria’s striking unemployment rate as high as 23.1% in late 2018 – which was nearly a quarter of the population without jobs!
The good news is that even though there might not be full-time jobs for you out there, you can create your own.
We don’t want your talent to go to waste, so we’ve gathered 30 ways you can make money without having a job.
How can I make money online in Nigeria fast?
With access to a computer and working Internet connection, you are already halfway to making money online. The rest is just to find appropriate channels that will pay you for your time:
1. Trading bitcoin
When high inflation rates and inaccessibility to banks make it insensible to deal with naira, it’s the perfect timing to look into cryptocurrencies as an alternative as these digital assets are decentralized, unaffected by economic recessions, and can be traded instantly.
Using peer-to-peer marketplaces such as Paxful, you can obtain bitcoin in various ways including but not limited to gift cards, PayPal or cash deposits, etc. Play around with exchange rates, bitcoin’s prices, and foreign exchange rates and you can make a big profit.
Difficulty: Medium; Speed: Instant
Join Paxful and start trading bitcoin.
2. Offering feedback on websites and apps
Websites aren’t born perfect. The popular websites we use now have gone through generations of modifications and remodifications – from feedback given by users.
Help out the next tech giants by spending 10-20 minutes to navigate their website and tell them what you think about it. Giving feedback on their questionnaires or tasks can earn you up to $60 per test through sites like UserTesting.
Difficulty: Easy; Speed: Fast
3. Taking online surveys and watching videos
There are more easy ways than watching videos to make quick money online. On InboxDollars, brands have paid users over $56 million worth of cash rewards to take online surveys, read emails, play video games and watch videos – and offered coupons for grocery stores, or freebies from top brands in exchange.
Besides the money, what you’re doing is meaningful and reciprocal. Your responses on surveys will help big brands better design their products that match your interests, which you – the end-user – will enjoy eventually.
Difficulty: Easy; Speed: Fast
4. Playing trending video games
While other apps pay you for playing small and perhaps repetitive games on your phone, Mistplay actually lets you play cool and famous games for gift cards. Some popular games that they offer include Words With Friends 2, Yahtzee, Clash Royale, Star Wars, etc.
The more games you play, the more you get rewarded. And guess what? Besides Amazon, Starbucks and Google Play gift cards, you can also receive your rewards for Xbox, Nintendo, and PlayStation – time to play even more games!
Difficulty: Easy; Speed: Medium
5. Searching online for your next purchase
You may not believe me, but search engines probably know you better than your closest family members or friends do. Every question you want an answer to, or product you’ve wanted to buy for ages all become a result on a search page – and search engines are willing to pay now to understand these customer behaviors!
On Qmee, whenever you search, some sponsored results with price tags showing you how much you’ll earn by clicking on it will come up. You can click on them to receive rewards immediately, or use Qmee’s coupons and deals available to save on your next shopping spree.
Difficulty: Easy; Speed: Fast
How to make money in Nigeria as a student?
Although the above game plans to make money fast are legitimate, it may take a couple of weeks or months before the profit is big enough to buy a few meals. In this section, we are going to show you a few ways that, although it may take a longer time, give you much more in return.
6. Teaching English online
It feels great to use an existing skill to make an impact on other people’s lives, while making some extra cash, no? Sites like TeacherOn connect potential English teachers with students who speak English as a second language. Once signed up, you can set your own hours and start teaching wherever you are. Everything is done online, and you work according to your own schedule.
Teachers can earn up to 10,000 nairas per hour on TeacherOn, and get to watch your students improve over time – it’s a win-win situation.
Difficulty: Medium; Speed: Medium
7. Translating materials
Once you log onto freelance websites such as TranslatorsCafe, you’ll be connected with hundreds of thousands of job postings for translation, interpretation, copywriting and editing. Projects on these sites can vary greatly by nature. For example, a project can be done solely online, while another requires an in-person presence. The expertise required for each project can be different too, covering fields such as entertainment, games, medicine, law – to name a few.
If you’re learning a language at school and want to flex your linguistic muscles with some real-life practice, this is the right place for you. Compensation rates are negotiable for some projects – get in touch with the job poster today!
Difficulty: Medium; Speed: Medium
8. Working freelance in, literally, every expertise
Teaching English and translating/interpreting aren’t the only ways you can make money online as a freelancer. Hop onto websites such as Upwork, Freelancer, or Fiverr, and you’ll see that there are job postings asking for help in various fields. Some of the most popular ones are:
- Digital marketing – With more businesses aiming to build their online presence online, services like SEO, email marketing, and social media marketing are always in demand nowadays.
- Copywriting – From blogs to sales copy and product descriptions, you can find a plethora of writing gigs that you can finish in just a few hours.
- Video editing – Many startups and influencers are looking for freelancers to create motion graphics, how-to videos, and the like, so don’t miss out on these projects!
Difficulty: Medium; Speed: Medium
9. Selling your old textbooks for Amazon Gift Cards
We’ve been there and done that; college textbooks are big and heavy and are only used for a semester or two. Once you’ve soaked up all the knowledge from them, why not trade them in on Amazon Trade-In for gift cards that you can then spend on the next textbooks or electronics you need for school? You can check how much your books are worth on their page and guess what? Shipping fees are on Amazon!
Difficulty: Easy; Speed: Fast
10. Selling your notes
The scribbles you jot down during class aren’t only good for your late-night cram study sessions; upload them online to make a side income! Sites like Nexus Notes and Stuvia are marketplaces where you can list your notes and receive compensation when another student downloads them. Make sure your notes are of high quality and legible though – no one likes to spend 10 minutes to decipher a sentence!
Difficulty: Easy; Speed: Fast
11. Making voice-over
Each of us has a unique voice. Projects on platforms like Voices.com are always looking for audio talent for commercials, animation, video games, narrators, storytellers, and instructors, etc. The most popular styles that they look for include approachable, authentic, conversational, friendly, and believable. If you’ve got a quiet room and want to see how your voice may deliver ideas, have a go at online acting today!
Difficulty: Medium; Speed: Medium
12. Delivering parcels on your beloved bike
Do you have a motorcycle and enjoy being on the road? If so, sign up to be a Kwikster on Kwik, a Nigerian on-demand delivery platform. Once your documents and licenses are verified by Kwik, you’ll get your green uniform and start delivering high-quality services. When someone needs your service, you’ll be notified and given time and address to pick up the parcel as well as to send it. Drive safe!
Difficulty: Easy; Speed: Medium
13. Entering data
We know that as students, you probably have to deal with large amounts of data from time to time for school projects. If you think that you’re detail-oriented and want to actually get paid for entering data, check out websites like Clickworker. Users can sign up to complete small tasks under a bigger project, such as data research and data entry. Pay differs from project to project.
Difficulty: Easy; Speed: Medium
14. Selling goods
All of us have something that we can do without, but something that could very well be someone else’s beloved item. Make some profit from what you own on e-commerce sites such as Jumia and Konga. These two sites are some of the most visited e-commerce websites in Nigeria and allow individuals and small businesses to sell their products.
You can also start an online business without having to handle the products directly through dropshipping. With this method, you buy items from a third party such as a manufacturer or wholesaler and have them shipped to your customers. This allows you to try new product ideas without the need to own and pay for the items in advance.
Difficulty: Easy; Speed: Medium
15. Completing tasks for big companies
Can you imagine that taking photos at a supermarket or answering questions about a certain product can earn you money? Big companies now take market research to a different level and are willing to pay you through tasking apps such as FieldAgent and BeMyEye, if you’re also willing to complete on-demand tasks. These tasks usually take about 8-10 minutes and pay USD$3-12 each. Not bad if you’re shopping anyway and need some subsidy on your groceries!
Difficulty: Easy; Speed: Fast
16. Scanning barcodes from your grocery shopping
Going from a similar token, the National Consumer Panel does intensive market research for big brands, and now they’re wondering what you buy every time you visit a supermarket or a mall. What you tell NCP will be very useful for companies to understand consumer behavior – help your favorite brands create even better products for you! You’ll be awarded points for each bar code you scan from your purchase, and the points will accumulate and become gift cards eventually.
Difficulty: Easy; Speed: Medium
17. Renting out your dorm for films
If you have consulted with your roommates and they are okay with renting out your guys’ room as a potential film set, list your room on JJMedia Group today! You never know, your dorm room might become the center stage of Nollywood’s next equivalent of Pitch Perfect!
Difficulty: Easy; Speed: Medium
18. Investing through a user-friendly app
Although investing may sound daunting for a twenty-year-old, it’s actually not that undoable with Acorns’ help and easy navigation. This app has a “round-up” feature, which drops 77 cents to your Acorns account when you spend $10.23 at the grocery store, for example. The $1 monthly membership fee is also waived if you’re a student under 24 and have a .edu email address. Get ready to save up to hundreds of dollars a year with the app!
Difficulty: Easy; Speed: Medium
19. Earning cash back rewards
After learning about Rakuten cashback rewards, you probably won’t buy any original-priced products ever again. Not only do you get discounts off popular brands such as Amazon and Macy’s, but also receive a cashback balance – you can choose to have your free money from Rakuten paid through PayPal or by a check. Seriously? You get money back for spending money now? I’m in. Join others in saving hundreds, or thousands, of dollars a year!
Difficulty: Easy; Speed: Fast
20. Selling your photos
Instead of posting your photos on Instagram for feel-good likes, turn them into a means of income by uploading them to Foap. If someone wants to use your photos, they’ll pay you for licensing, and you’ll earn half of that licensing fee every time they sell with the help of your photo. Your pocket money can really snowball with just a snapshot of your food, winter boots, holiday season celebrations and whatever that’s in demand.
Difficulty: Easy; Speed: Medium
21. Virtually helping doctors sort out their paperwork
Doctors never have enough time with their patients. Help them change this and provide a higher quality of patient care by being their virtual medical scribe on iScribes. Your job is simple – take care of doctors’ paperwork and documentation whenever you’re free and in the comfort of your room, and get exposed to the highly sought-after medical industry!
Difficulty: Easy; Speed: Medium
22. Transcribing audio clips
If you can pay attention and type fast, consider being a transcriptionist for some quick cash. On sites such as TranscribeMe, you can transcribe 2-4 minute audio clips in any language you’re fluent in and earn anywhere from $15 to $25 an hour. Make sure your grammar and spellings are up to par though!
Difficulty: Easy; Speed: Medium
23. Become an online tutor
Perhaps you are fluent in French, Spanish, or other foreign languages, or maybe you have a flair for art. Even as a student, you can earn money by becoming an online tutor and teaching topics you excel at. You can host webinars or hold one-on-one classes to help people gain the level of knowledge they need on a particular subject.
Websites like Tutor.ng, Tutoria, and UpskillTutor can help you quickly connect with potential students. Just be prepared for possible exams in the subject area you want to tutor in!
Difficulty: Medium; Speed: Medium
How to make money online in Nigeria for the creative and tech-savvy?
So we’ve talked about some fast and easy ways to make money both online and as students. What if you have some lucrative unique skills that you’d like to take advantage of? Here’s a list of things you can do with your creative brains and hands:
24. Video Blogging
With a billion hours of videos watched on YouTube each day, vlogging is never a bad idea to build a business in. If you have a niche in a certain field and are comfortable speaking in front of a camera, try uploading some video content to your YouTube channel. Although building a large following takes time and skills, one that is fluent in video editing and marketing strategies will be able to make bank with YouTube’s ads and sponsorship programs.
Difficulty: Medium-Difficult; Speed: Slow
25. Making your own profitable online course
So you have awesome video editing skills and would like to help others learn your expertise in an organized way? Turn to Udemy. More than 100,000 online courses have been uploaded to teach eager learners across fields such as business, design, IT, software, marketing, and photography – to name a few. You get paid when students purchase your course, and this isn’t a lone journey; there’s a Facebook group of Udemy instructors helping each other out on creating better videos.
Difficulty: Medium-Difficult; Speed: Slow
26. Publish ebooks
Okay, so you’ve got a niche and some interesting stories to tell, but you don’t like watching yourself on a rectangular screen? Let’s try writing these adventures out as an eBook. Using Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) platform, you can publish in less than 5 minutes and your book will appear on Kindle stores worldwide within 24-48 hours. This platform is extremely flexible; set your own list prices and edit your books whenever you want. One day, if you want to see your book in print, know that KDP will let you do so for free!
Difficulty: Medium; Speed: Slow
27. Publishing profitable online articles
On online content-sharing platforms such as HubPages, anyone can create and monetize their blog posts, should they be helpful and resourceful for readers. As a Hubber, you can opt in to earn money by allowing Google AdSense and the HubPages Ad Program to place ads and products on your article. Some Hubbers have managed to earn nearly USD $1,000 monthly!
Difficulty: Medium; Speed: Medium
28. App development
With more and more people going mobile these days, businesses nowadays are looking to create mobile apps to serve their customers better. If you have a knack for programming, you may want to pursue app development because of the plenty of opportunities it brings in the long term. Some of the reputable freelancing platforms for programmers you can check out are Gun.io and X-Team.
Difficulty: Medium-Difficult; Speed: Slow
29. Creating your own broadcast
There are so many ways to share your thoughts! If not video nor writing, how about through a broadcast? Platforms like Radio.co enable you to create an online radio station for free and connect with listeners worldwide. They also have cool analytics that helps you better manage your station and target audience.
Difficulty: Medium-Difficult; Speed: Slow
30. Selling designs
If you have a creative muscle and want other people to use your graphic designs in their business cards, t-shirts, flyers, banners and coffee mugs, start selling them on the Nigerian website Printivo. When a user is interested in your design templates, they’ll put in orders after editing the texts and elements on your templates.
Difficulty: Easy; Speed: Medium
31. Affiliate marketing
If you have a product or an app that you like, why not share the love with your friends and family, and get paid? Affiliate marketing is essentially ‘wingmanning” a product and a new user in exchange for a cut of the profits.
Commission rates vary but can add up to be a great income. When you have multiple referrals and they all engage in big trading volumes, you can make some really big money!
Difficulty: Medium; Speed: Medium
32. Making music
Anyone can compose their own song and put it up on YouTube for people to discern their taste. Using popular channels such as YouTube and Spotify, your songs can have the potential to reach millions of listeners, making you a big profit in return. For instance, Nigerian singer and songwriter Davido’s single, “Fall,” has had 148 million views on YouTube alone.
Ride this music wave as Sony and Universal open offices in Nigeria. The music industry in Nigeria is set to be valued at an astonishing $73 million by 2021, according to PwC!
Difficulty: Difficult; Speed: Medium-Slow
We hope these tips help! Paxful is determined to provide financial independence and freedom to the unbanked. We are also very student-friendly and firmly believe in the power of youth. With the #BuiltWithBitcoin initiative, Paxful is dedicated to build 100 schools across Africa and expand its scholarship programs, as well as provide scholarships to young women in the Middle East.
What other ways do you use to make money in Nigeria? Let us know in the comments below!
