How to Make Money Online in Nigeria (Best 2024 Guide)

The internet has opened up a world of money-making opportunities for everyone in Nigeria. With an increasing number of Nigerians gaining access to stable internet connections, online businesses are booming.

In this guide, I’ve compiled the most legitimate and proven ways that will teach you how to make money online in Nigeria.

Note: The Guide in this post is a combination of my experience and thorough research. You will only benefit from this post if you read it without skipping any step or point. Let’s go!

Can I Make Money Online In Nigeria?

My Answer is YES. You will soon discover this after reading this post thoroughly.

While there are get-rich-quick schemes online that often turn out to be shams, there are many realistic ways to earn an income or supplement your revenue through the internet in Nigeria.

In this post, I’ve focused on reliable and tested strategies that will fetch you sweet income if you approach them correctly.

The key is finding the right opportunities that match your interests, skills, experience, and availability. With time and effort, you can develop multiple income streams for greater financial security.

Proven Ways to Make Money Online in Nigeria

I think it won’t be complete to treat how to make money online in Nigeria without touching the proven ways to make money online in Nigeria too.

With that said, let’s quickly explore some of the most proven and promising ways to make money online in Nigeria in more detail.

1. Sell Products Online

One of the most straightforward ways to make money online is by selling products directly to customers.

I intentionally listed this as the first way to make money in order to prepare your mind for one bitter truth – and that is “you can not make money online in Nigeria or anywhere unless you have something you are selling.”

With the rise of e-commerce in Nigeria, you can easily set up an online store and reach a pan-Nigerian customer base.

Popular e-commerce platforms to sell through include:

There are tons of e-commerce platforms in Nigeria today that you can tap into. Let me give you some of them.

• Jumia – The leading B2C commerce platform in Africa with millions of active users in Nigeria. You can sign up to become a Jumia vendor.
• Konga – Another widely used Nigerian online retailer. Easy to get started selling on Konga.
• Etsy – Global marketplace for unique and creative products. You can open a shop here to sell handicrafts, art, fashion items and more to local and international buyers.
• Social media stores – You can also leverage your existing social media followers on platforms like Instagram and Facebook to promote and sell different products.

For imported or customized products, you can start dropshipping.

Dropshipping allows you to sell items without keeping stock. You simply purchase items from a supplier only when you receive an order, and ship directly to the customer. This cuts down on overhead costs.

How to Make Money Online in Nigeria Selling Products Online:

• Research trending and in-demand products in Nigeria
• Focus on unique, high-quality items
• Offer excellent customer service
• Build out an attractive online storefront
• Run promotions and sales
• Leverage social media for marketing

Handmade crafts, women’s fashion, electronics, beauty products, food items, auto parts, and furniture are some of the most lucrative retail e-commerce categories in Nigeria.

With the right strategy, you can turn selling products online to a full-time income stream.

2. Offer Your Skills as a Freelancer

One of the best ways to make money online in Nigeria is Freelancing. There is massive demand globally for skilled freelancers who can provide services virtually in areas like:

• Writing & Editing
• Graphic design
• Software development & programming
• Digital Marketing
• Data entry & analysis
• Translation
• Animation
• Bookkeeping

Freelancing allows you to earn in dollars, set your own rates, choose your own clients and projects, and work from home.

Some leading freelancing platforms include:

• Upwork – Upwork is the world’s largest freelance platform with endless projects across diverse skills. Sign up and build a compelling profile, and you are good to go.
• Fiverr – Fiverr is a reputable marketplace for freelance services starting at just $5. Offer niche gigs.
• Freelancer – Website where businesses post projects and freelancers bid on them. Popular in Nigeria.
• Guru – Connects over 3 million employers and freelancers globally.

Best Ways to Make Money Online in Nigeria as a Freelancer:

• Invest time in learning high-income skills like programming, graphic design or any of the hot skills
• Deliver excellent work and maintain good client relationships
• Specialize in a profitable, in-demand niche
• Have a portfolio that showcases your best work
• Maintain a stellar profile with top ratings to win more jobs

With persistence and dedication, you can earn over ₦200,000 monthly as a freelancer servicing clients abroad. This income can grow much higher as you build your reputation.

3. Earn From Affiliate Marketing

You’ve probably seen Affiliate Marketing over and over, and maybe you don’t trust it again.

But wait! You need to trust it again and again.

Affiliate marketing is an easy way to earn commissions. All you need is to promote other companies’ products or services online.

As an affiliate, you get a unique link or promo code to share. When someone makes a purchase using your link, you receive a percentage as a commission.

Some Affiliates typically earn 5-20% on each sale. Bluehost, a web hosting company, will pay you $65 if one person buys their hosting service through your link.

You know how much $65 is in our beautiful naira of course.

Some top affiliate programs in Nigeria include:

• Amazon Associates – Earn up to 10% on Amazon purchases. Wide range of products.
• Jumia Affiliate Program – Up to 8% commission on Jumia sales.
• Konga Affiliate – 10% commission on Konga products.
• Admitad – Partner with advertisers in Nigeria and globally across industries.
• AWIN – Leading global affiliate network with big Nigerian advertisers.
• Expertnaire – A Platform to pick great products to promote.

Affiliate Marketing Tactics to Boost Your Earnings:

• Create product review blogs, YouTube videos and web pages to promote affiliate links. These establish you as an expert.
• Share affiliate links on your social media accounts.
• Build an email list and promote it to subscribers.
• Promote your affiliate links on Nairaland and Quora.
• Run Google Ads for your affiliate products.

I personally place affiliate marketing on top of my income stream. Do you know why?

The reason is simply that I don’t have to create or manage any product at all. All I need to do is to promote links, and the companies will handle the sales themselves.

You can potentially make over ₦2,000,000 monthly through affiliate sales with consistency.

4. Start a Blog or Website

You’re missing out on the great deals if you don’t already have a blog. Building a professional blog or website centred around a specific niche or industry can become a lucrative endeavour through diversified monetization strategies.

You should already know that I won’t be posting rich blog posts like this if not I’m making income through it. Yes, I’m making cool cash with this blog. Let’s move on!

Here Are Some Profitable Niches that You Can Choose to Write About if You Are in Nigeria

• Tech product reviews
• Fashion and beauty content
• Recipes and food
• Relationship and dating advice
• Personal finance tips
• Career and education guidance
• Celebrity gossip and entertainment
• Parenting and family
• Fitness and healthy lifestyle

How to Make Money Online in Nigeria with a Blog or Website

• Sell advertising – Display banner and text ads through Google AdSense, media.net or direct advertisers. The more traffic you have, the more you can make money through ads.
• Affiliate marketing – You can recommend or review a product and insert your affiliate link. When your readers buy the product via your link, you’ll get your beautiful commission.
• Sponsored posts – Get paid by brands to create customized content promoting their products/services. You can charge up to ₦150,000+ per post. Linda Ikeji charges 2 million naira to post a background banner on her site.
• Sell your own products – Create your own ebooks, courses, merchandise etc. related to the niche and sell directly.
• Insert premium ads – Earn money by inserting promotional content within posts through networks like PropellerAds.
• Newsletters – Send regular newsletters to email subscribers highlighting your best content.

With time and dedication, you can generate over ₦500,000 monthly through these monetization methods.

5. Start a YouTube Channel

If you’ve watched YouTube recently, you will see a lot of guys making videos on YouTube. The reason is simply because they make cool cash with their videos. YouTube presents an opportunity to earn money from home in Nigeria by:

• Getting paid for ad views through Google AdSense
• Inserting affiliate links in video descriptions
• Promoting sponsored products in videos
• Selling merchandise like t-shirts based on your brand
• Creating premium online courses or coaching programs that viewers pay for

Some of the most popular and profitable YouTube niches in Nigeria include:

• Comedy skits & entertainment
• Music, dancing and drama
• Fashion, beauty & lifestyle
• Personal finance & investment tips
• Cooking recipes and food vlogs
• Fitness routines and workout videos
• Career and education advice
• Family and relationships
• Tech reviews and tutorials
• Travel vlogs showcasing Nigerian tourist attractions

So, you can basically make videos around your knowledge and start making money on YouTube.

Ways to Make Money Online in Nigeria with a YouTube Channel

• Create high-quality, engaging videos consistently
• Optimize videos for search by using relevant titles, tags and descriptions
• Leverage trends and current affairs for video topics
• Collaborate with popular YouTubers to gain exposure
• Develop an appealing channel brand and focus on promotion

If you have thorough dedication and creativity, you can start earning ₦100,000+ monthly from YouTube. Top creators make over ₦1 million monthly.

6. Tutoring and Teaching Online Courses

If you have expertise in an academic or skill area, you can generate income by tutoring students online or creating online courses.

Here are the Popular Platforms to Sell Your Courses

• Selar – An online platform to set up a course-selling profile with ease in Nigeria.
• Tuteria – Network for finding students and tutors in Nigeria for in-person or online tutoring.
• Superprof – Global tutoring platform where you set your rates and offer online tutoring in your field.
• Udemy – Here you can create online video courses on almost any topic and earn as students enrol.

Subject Areas Often in Demand for Tutoring Include:

• English, math, science, and social studies for JAMB/WAEC exam prep
• Programming, web development, graphic design
• Business, marketing, finance, and accounting
• Foreign languages like French, Arabic and Germany

How to Make Money Online in Nigeria as a Tutor

• Structure your curriculum and lessons effectively
• Offer flexible scheduling for students
• Maintain affordable rates – ₦1000 – ₦2500 per hour works for most subjects
• Gather teaching aids to enrich lessons
• Market your services actively on social media and tutoring sites

Persistence pays off in establishing yourself as an online tutor or course instructor. Selling your skills is one of the great ways to make money online in Nigeria.

7. Launch a SaaS App

This is a great shot for you if you know how to build apps, and you can hire a developer if you can’t. You can talk to me if this is your dream.

Creating a software-as-a-service (SaaS) application targeted at the Nigerian market can be a lucrative online business model. SaaS apps are web-based software that users can access on subscription plans rather than purchasing outright.

Imagine having an app that people pay you as little as ₦500 per month to use. And you are able to generate 5,000 active users. What will your monthly revenue be? You get the idea.

Your App will Grow Quickly if it’s in These Categories

• School Management Software
• Point of Sales and Inventory Software
• Accounting and payroll management platforms
• CRMs for managing customer relationships
• Project management tools
• Appointment scheduling software
• Online form and survey builders
• Business intelligence and analytics dashboards

Tips for succeeding with a Nigerian SaaS startup

• Identify a problem faced by Nigerian businesses that you can solve with software
• Make it mobile responsive and lightweight
• Offer tiered pricing plans from basic to enterprise
• Provide excellent onboarding and customer support
• Target marketing to SMBs initially to gain traction
• Build a network of integration partners to increase utility

If you and your team are serious about it, you can start generating over ₦35 million in annual recurring revenue.

8. Create a Free Online Tool

But you want to make money, so why did I include FREE here?

Well, you can systematically turn the FREE to bastard MONEY – I mean cool cash that will make you smile at your bank account.

Building free web-based tools and mobile apps supported by ads is a proven business model. As your userbase grows, your ad revenue scales rapidly.

The logic is to create a useful app and don’t charge people for using it. You know that people love free things, right? That’s the catch! You can have thousands of users in just a week from the launch of your app. Then you can easily turn the traffic to MONEY.

Some examples of Free Tools that Can Monetize Well Include:

• Task management apps
• Plagiarism checkers
• File compression and conversion apps
• Image editors and meme generators
• Event planners and calendars

Best Tips on How to Make Money Online with Free Apps

• Develop for both web and mobile to maximize users
• Make it intuitive and easy-to-use
• Insert native ads and banners that blend seamlessly
• Leverage influencer marketing to gain traction
• Release consistently on iOS and Android app stores

Viral, free tools averaging over 100,000 monthly users can generate ₦200,000+ in monthly ad revenue in Nigeria.

9. Publish an EBook

Publishing and selling digital ebooks can be a relatively low-cost online business to start if you leverage self-publishing platforms. Nigerians are increasingly consuming digital products.

Some Top-Selling Ebook Niches in Nigeria Include:

• Personal development and success tips
• Business, marketing and finance guides
• Cooking recipes and food books
• Career and education books
• Children’s storybooks

Best Tips on How to Make Money Online Selling Ebooks

• Choose a niche with a hungry audience demand
• Promote it heavily on social media and online forums
• Price accessibly between ₦500 – ₦2500
• Distribute on stores like Okadabooks, Bambooks and Selar
• Insert affiliate links to boost income

Top-selling ebooks can generate over ₦100,000 monthly through digital distribution and promotion.

10. Start a WhatApp TV

If your intent is ‘how to make money online in Nigeria,’ but you don’t want to dedicate much of your time to it, you can start a WhatsApp TV.

With over 19 million monthly active WhatsApp users in Nigeria (according to www.statista.com), leveraging your status as a broadcast channel or “WhatsApp TV” presents a unique money-making opportunity.

The model involves accumulating a large WhatsApp contact list and then charging businesses to promote their ads, deals or content in your status updates. Companies are eager to access the massive reach of WhatsApp, and that can be your money-making model.

Best Tips on How to Make Money Online in Nigeria Running a WhatsApp TV

• Build a contact list of 10,000+ active viewers who frequently view your status
• Produce engaging statuses mixing personal and promotional content
• Set competitive sponsorship rates from ₦20,000 for 24 hours
• Focus on sponsors relevant to your target audience
• Offer analytics reporting on views and engagement

Some top WhatsApp TV owners in Nigeria charge up to ₦20,000 for a single day of status sponsorship seen by 25,000+ people.

With strategic posting and promotions through channels like Facebook to drive status views, WhatsApp TV can become your consistent money generator.

11. Start a Graphic Design Business

Graphic design is a lucrative business that you can quickly start to make money online in Nigeria. Leveraging design skills to provide services like branding, packaging design, social media graphics, presentations and more can be lucrative in Nigeria’s growing digital economy.

Best Tips for Running a Profitable Graphic Design Business

• Build a stunning portfolio and online presence
• Offer quick turnarounds and excellent service
• Set competitive but profitable rates
• Promote services actively across social media
• Expand beyond individuals to corporate clients
• Sell templates, fonts, and graphics packs on the side

I have a blog post on how to start a graphic design business in Nigeria in just 4 days, even as a student.

Persistence pays off. Once established, graphic design businesses in Nigeria earn ₦200,000 to ₦500,000 monthly on average from a mix of services, templates and digital products.

Getting Started with Online Business

When getting started with an online business in Nigeria, it is important to thoroughly assess your interests, skills and startup costs for different ideas.

• Make a list of business models that align with your capabilities and that you are genuinely passionate about.
• Analyze the estimated startup costs, equipment needs, and initial investments required for each idea. Choose one that fits your budget.

It is advisable to start small when testing out your first online business idea. Try providing services as a solo freelancer before hiring employees and see if you enjoy it.

Build a simple website with minimal features and slowly add more functionality. Run local advertising campaigns before going national. See if you can organically gain some customers through social media before investing in ads.

Experience is Key

As you gain experience, learn continuously from the successes and failures of peers running similar online businesses. Join relevant forums and groups to connect with like-minded entrepreneurs. Study the sites, ads and content of competitors.

Adapt your business model based on new trends and technology. For example, if your e-commerce site isn’t optimized for mobile, your potential customers will quickly leave.

Make sure to do thorough research on the tax and regulation requirements for online businesses in Nigeria. Consult professionals to ensure full compliance. I’m sure that you’ll need to register with the CAC as time goes on.

Frequently Asked Questions on How To Make Money Online in Nigeria

Here is a compilation of the most asked questions on how to make money online in Nigeria and Ways to Make Money Online in Nigeria.

Read and enjoy with my short and concise answers on each.

Final Words

In this guide, I’ve explored the top proven strategies for earning money online in Nigeria like freelancing, e-commerce, affiliate marketing, blogging and more.

Choose one that excites you and start your first online venture today. Don’t wait for the perfect circumstances or be deterred by early hurdles. With persistence and dedication, you can steadily build your first income stream.

Before You Go!

• Don’t stop here. Just start and don’t delay.
• Make time to continuously develop in-demand digital skills, study the latest online business trends and network with those further ahead.

The digital economy presents unlimited potential for entrepreneurship, but you must invest in developing relevant knowledge and skills over the long term.

Believe in your abilities, start today, and the online income you desire will soon materialize!

Please Share My Post

Kindly help others to see this rich guide too. Use the social share icons to share this post on your social media platforms, including WhatsApp. Best of Luck.