How to Make Money Online in Nigeria as a Beginner

5 proven ways to start making money online in Nigeria today.

Making money online in Nigeria is no longer a myth. With just your smartphone, data, and the right information, you can start earning from the comfort of your home.

Whether you’re a student, stay-at-home parent, or job seeker, there are real opportunities to make money online, even with no experience.

In this guide, I’ll walk you through 5 proven ways to start making money online in Nigeria today, and the best part is that I have tried most of them. So, I am telling you what works.

In the past, the only way to make some extra money was to import goods to Nigeria and sell them at a good margin. But with the internet, things have changes, there are now multiple ways to make some side income right here in Nigeria.

1. Freelancing

Freelancing is one of the fastest and most accessible ways to earn online. You simply offer services (writing, graphic design, voiceover, video editing, etc.) to clients who are willing to pay you from anywhere in the world.

Where to start?

Example: If you’re good at writing, you can charge $5–$20 per article. That’s ₦7,000–₦30,000+ per job, depending on the exchange rate.

Tools Needed: Smartphone or laptop, Internet, and a skill.

If this is your kind of thing, then you must hang out on LinkedIn, that is where more professionals, brands and businesses looking to hire writers hang out too.

The next on our list is promoting other people’s product for a cut of their profit. It is called affiliate marketing.

2. Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing means you promote other people’s products and earn a commission per sale. As a Nigerian, this is a great way to make money without creating your own product.

Best platforms:

Expertnaire
Jumia Affiliate
Konga Affiliate
Amazon (for bloggers targeting foreign audiences)

Steps:

Sign up for an affiliate program in anyone of the above, or search Google for your preferred affiliate marketplace.
Follow their onscreen instruction, and complete any form provided.
Get your unique link.
Promote the product using social media, a blog, or WhatsApp.
Earn commissions (₦2,000–₦50,000 per sale depending on the product).

If you are a video person, then YouTube is just for you. So, lets talk about how to make some side money from YouTube.

3. YouTube

YouTube pays creators through ads (AdSense), and you can also make money through sponsorships and product sales. The best part? You don’t need to show your face if you’re shy.

All you need is a good niche, some content ideas and the determination to succeed

Content Ideas examples for YouTube:

Tutorial videos (e.g., how to make hair, how to use Canva)
Reaction videos
Compilation videos (e.g., top 10 funny clips)

Requirements:

1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours to join AdSense

Bonus Tip: Use Canva and CapCut to create your videos if you don’t have editing skills.

And if you are serious about it, go check out this article on more ways to make money from YouTube

4. Online Surveys & Microtasks

These won’t make you rich, but they’re an easy way to earn a few dollars daily. The good thing about online surveys is that you can do it right from your mobile phone and earn a decent income.

Websites that work in Nigeria:

Tasks include surveys, tagging images, transcription, and data labeling.

Warning: Don’t pay to register. Legitimate survey sites are free to join.

5. Selling Digital Products

If you have knowledge or a skill (e.g., how to bake, how to speak better English), you can package it into an eBook or video course.

I saw a fellow recently promoting a gig on “how to make your teenagers perform better at school”. So, you see, if you have knowledge about anything, you can turn that into a course and make money.

Platforms to sell: