Nigerians are famously enterprising people. In the current national economic hardship, having a side hustle is an ideal means of boosting your earnings. Money generated from a side gig can help you to pay off debt and increase earnings. There are countless side hustles that you can do remotely. But, it’s prudent to choose the side hustle idea that fits your interests, schedule, and passions.
This article takes you through the 15 best side hustle ideas in Nigeria and the expected earnings from each side hustle.
15 Best Side Hustle Ideas in Nigeria
1. Freelance writing
Freelance writing takes the top spot of the best side hustle ideas in Nigeria. As a freelance writer, you can remotely take multiple writing projects from clients from anywhere.
When people hear of freelance writing, they often think about article writing online. However, there’s a whole list of other freelance writing jobs you can do, including technical writing, copywriting, blogging, website content writing, and social media content creation.
If you want to succeed in freelance writing, make sure you pick topics you’re passionate about and projects that interest you. The pay rate for freelance writers is often calculated based on word count and project duration. If you do freelance writing the right way, you can expect to earn well above $1,000 per month.
2. Starting a Blog
Blogging stands out as one of the best ways to earn money online in Nigeria without necessarily leaving your main job. You can easily own a blog and share your work. Remember, you don’t necessarily need coding skills to create a blog. Nowadays, it’s easy to create an elegant blog using website builders like Wix or WordPress.
The first and ultimately the most vital step of developing your blog is to choose your blog’s niche and purpose. Make sure you select a blog niche that is broad enough to give you enough content to keep your target audience engaged. Some profitable blog niches include career advice, personal finance, investment, lifestyle, travel stories, and health and fitness.
Once you’ve set up your blog, you’ll need to carve out high-quality and original content. The earnings from blogging depend on the traffic you get. Thus, your primary goal is to drive more traffic to your blog. You can earn money blogging in several ways, including;
- Ad monetization
- Selling digital or physical products
- Coaching
- Affiliate marketing
- Subscriptions
3. YouTube Channel
We’re in the information age, where everyone seeks to gain new knowledge and acquire diverse skills. You can turn this trend into a money-making opportunity by launching a YouTube Channel.
Before starting your channel, it’s important to select a niche that’s interesting to you. Keep in mind that the Cost Per Mile (CPM) differs based on the content types. Some of the top-earning niches include digital marketing, making money online, personal finance, and tech gadgets.
YouTube ranks among the most visited sites worldwide, with over 2.7 billion active users each month. You can tap into the massive audience to earn money by joining the YouTube Partner Program. Also, you can make money by teaming up with brands to promote products or selling personal products.
4. Online Tutoring
Becoming an online tutor makes it to the list of best side hustle ideas in Nigeria. If you’ve outstanding knowledge about particular subjects, you can earn extra income by sharing your knowledge with others.
Finding online tutoring jobs isn’t a problem, as the demand for online tutors is high and keeps growing. Top-trending subjects with high earnings include physics, math, science, and computer science. Platforms that offer online tutoring jobs include Studypool, TutorMe, Chegg, and Tutor.com.
And the earnings for online tutors are quite good. As an online tutor, you’re paid between $12.26 and $22.36. Of course, your earnings vary depending on the client’s needs and the duration of tutoring sessions.
5. Become an influencer Marketer
If you’re looking for a legitimate side hustle idea that you can implement with minimal effort and earn big money, look no further. Becoming an influencer marketer comes with great rewards for your wallet. The demand for influencer marketer is unquestionably high as brands seek to establish a strong online presence, enhance brand awareness, and grow their clientele.
As an influencer marketer, you’ll feature in content endorsing products for organizations. Expect to earn between $10 and $1,000 from a single post, depending on the size of your audience. To achieve maximum earnings, you should aim to establish a long-term partnership with brands.
6. Selling Digital Products
We are in the digital age, and as a result, the demand for digital products is equally high. Creating and selling digital products is one of the best side hustle ideas in Nigeria. All that’s needed is being crafty.
Digital products have a high demand. A few examples of top-trending digital products include logos, photography, music, printable artwork, website elements, spreadsheet templates, eBooks, and courses.
Once you create a digital product, you can sell it via email and download prompts on online platforms like websites and social media platforms. Digital products have a huge income potential. You can earn royalties many years after creating an online course.
7. SEO Expert
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a skill in high demand. As an SEO expert, you’ll help website owners to better optimize their content and site to receive organic traffic through search engines like Google.
As individuals and businesses aim to establish a resilient online presence, SEO experts are in hot demand. On average, SEOs charge over $500 per month for services, according to Ahrefs.
You don’t need a college-level education to kickstart your career as an SEO expert. Hone your SEO skills by taking online SEO training courses. Upwork and Freelancer are excellent sources of SEO jobs.
8. Photography
Photography is one of the trendy and lucrative side hustle ideas for earning extra income in Nigeria. If you’re a pro photographer, you can use your skills to earn money. The opportunities for photography experts exist all year round.
You can do photography as an offline job where you take photos or create portraits for individuals and families. Tap into profitable photography niches, including weddings, pets, real estate, events, newborns, wildlife, and sports.
In addition, you can put your photos on sale on your own site or on stock photography sites like iStock, Shutterstock, Alamy, and Getty Images. Start by selling your photos at lower rates and increase as your clientele expands.
9. Virtual Assistant
Virtual assistant is an incredibly rewarding side hustle that can earn you money in your spare time. As a virtual assistant, you’ll handle simple office tasks, including answering customer emails, taking calls, making calls, scheduling appointments, and making travel arrangements.
Skills required for the virtual assistant role include technical proficiency, accounting skills, proficient writing, accounting skills, and effective communication.
The availability of virtual assistant jobs isn’t a problem. Recent data indicates the global virtual assistant industry will witness a growth of 22.3% by 2030. Free online platforms that provide virtual assistant jobs include Fiverr, Upwork, and Freelancer.com. Hourly pay for virtual assistants ranges between $14 and $30.
10. Graphic design
If you’re looking for a creatively satisfying side hustle idea, then graphic design is the thing for you. The graphic design industry is worth billions of dollars and is projected to grow at an annual rate of 4.5%. Thus, there’s a strong financial incentive to become a graphic designer.
As a graphic designer, your role is to create visuals for different projects, including social media posts, websites, print ads, online ads, and many more. Graphic design is inexpensive and non-complex. All you need is basic computer skills and access to tools like Canva, Piktochart, Adobe Photoshop, and Adobe Illustrator.
And what’s the pay? Graphic designers receive an hourly pay of $15-$35 per hour, according to Upwork. Top freelance sites where you can find graphic design jobs include Fiverr, Upwork, PeopleperHour, and Freelancer.com.
11. Self-publishing eBooks
The reading culture in Nigeria has declined over the past years. However, this doesn’t mean you can’t write and publish books as a side hustle.Tap into the global eBook industry, which is estimated to be valued at about $36.2 billion by 2034.
Start by crafting a creative story and get editors to polish your book. Then, publish your eBook on platforms like Amazon’s KDP, Smashwords, Apple Books, Google Play Books, Kitaboo, IngramSpark, and Google Play Books. The best thing about self-publishing eBooks is that you’ll get royalties for many years as long the book is selling.
12. Transcription
Another lucrative side hustle idea in Nigeria is transcription. All you need to become a transcriptionist is effective listening, attention to detail, and fast typing. As a transcriptionist, you’ll listen to audio files, live or recorded, and type up the content.
Get transcriptionist jobs on sites like TranscribeMe, Upwork, and Freelancer.com. You can easily earn $1000 per month from this job, depending on your speed and skill level.
13. Social Media Management
If you’ve got a knack for crafting creative communication, social media management is a lucrative means to make extra cash on the side. Your role as a social media manager is to help companies increase engagement and followers on social media platforms.
You’ll specifically produce content, create social campaigns, review analytics, and communicate with followers. Key skills you’ll need to succeed in this role include excellent writing skills, editing skills, graphic design, flexibility, timeliness, and analytical tools. You can find work for local brands or social media management jobs on sites like Freelancer.com, Upwork, and Fiverr.
14. Start an Online Store
An online store lets you sell a product or service. Developing an online store can ultimately be a challenging task. But with appropriate tools, it can be a profitable side hustle. Tap into dropshipping and start your online store without direct involvement in purchasing, packaging, storage, or shipping the products you sell.
The dropshipping vendors handle all storage, stocking, and shipping processes. To start this side hustle, you’ll need a well-designed e-commerce website that incorporates dropshipping vendors like BigCommerce, Shopify, or WooCommerce. Your earnings from this side hustle depends on how well you market your store and products.
15. Carpet Washing
Cleaning carpets requires hard work. If you’re fine getting your hands dirty, carpet washing could be the perfect side gig for you. People need their carpets to be clean and smelling fresh.
To succeed in this job, you’ll need to acquire essential carpet cleaning tools like a vacuum cleaner, carpet cleaner, stain remover, defoamer, and air scrubber. What you charge depends on the type and size of the carpet.
Related: Top Skills to Turn into Side Hustle in 2024
Wrapping Up
Ultimately, side hustles offer an ideal means to earn extra income. However, like all business ventures, side hustles require serious planning and hard work. It’s always imperative to choose a side hustle idea that fits your passion and interests. The side hustle may be conflicting with your primary job. Without proper planning, starting a side hustle could be problematic. Effective time management is necessary to avoid losing your main job. Consider leaving your main job if the side hustle is profitable.
