Top 10 Best Side Hustles In Nigeria 2024

Best Side Hustles in Nigeria - Top 10

1. Freelance Writing

Freelance writing is a great way to make money online, especially if you have a knack for writing. You can work for clients locally and internationally, and many platforms are available for finding freelance writing gigs. And as a broad career, you can work in many different fields including STEM, Academia, Marketing, and Business among others.

An average content writer in Nigeria can earn an average pay of ₦827,473 a year though the sky is pretty much the limit.

2. Social Media Marketing

Social media marketing is another popular side hustle, as many businesses want to expand their online presence. A Social Media Manager is responsible for running, moderating, and publishing content for a brand's social media accounts. They also engage with their audiences and help them grow as a community. If you have experience in social media marketing, you can offer your services to companies looking to increase their social media engagement.

A typical social media manager earns ₦705,485 on average per year.

3. Online Tutoring

Online tutoring is a flexible side hustle that is a great source of extra income from anywhere. You can teach a variety of subjects, from English to math, and there are many online tutoring platforms available for finding students. If you have a knack for teaching things in an engaging and easy-to-digest way, this side hustle is perfect for you.

Online tutors earn an average pay of ₦958,647 yearly. This make it a profitable side gig.

4. Graphic Design

If you have a talent for graphic design, you can offer your services to businesses and individuals looking for logos, business cards, flyers, and other graphic design projects. Though the requisite skills can be challenging for some, it is still one of the easiest and quickest to start. Because of this, freelancing as a graphic designer is a popular choice.

They earn an average of ₦698,840 per year in Nigeria.

5. Event Planning

Event planning is a lucrative side hustle in Nigeria, as many events and celebrations take place throughout the year. As an event planner, you help your clients run and manage their events for them. This way, they can focus on relaxing and enjoying themselves while a professional handles all the work. If you have a talent for organizing events, you can offer your services to individuals and businesses looking to plan weddings, parties, and other events.

Event planners can earn an average of ₦1,200,000. making this one of the highest paying jobs in Nigeria.

6. Personal Shopping

If you love shopping then this might be for you. Personal shopping is a side hustle that involves shopping for other people. As a personal shopper, you go out and buy stuff for your clients discretely and earn extra money for it. You can offer your services to busy people who don't have the time to shop for themselves and earn a commission on each purchase. In return, you get to shop at places you might not regularly go and discover cool new stuff along the way.

Personal shoppers can earn an average of ₦971,715 per year.

7. Photography

Photography is a profitable side hustle in Nigeria for those who enjoy taking photos. You can offer your services for events such as weddings, birthdays, and other celebrations, as well as sell your photos online. If you are skilled and experienced enough, you can even offer to teach aspiring photographers. While gear and equipment can be a real money-sinker, you can start with pretty much just a camera and lens.

 Photographers earn an average of up to ₦1,850,000 per year.

8. Blogging

Blogging is a popular high paying side hustle in Nigeria, especially for those who enjoy writing about their passions. In a nutshell, blogging is publishing written content regularly. This is, by far, one of the easiest to start. You only need a laptop, an internet connection, your writing skills and then suddenly you have an online business able to make extra money. You can earn money through affiliate marketing, sponsored posts, and advertising. 

On average, a blogger earns an average of ₦659,994 a year. But it's a lot harder to pin down how much a blogger typically earns on average as rates do differ.

9. Own an Online Store

If you have a talent for making or sourcing unique products, you can start an online store and sell your products to customers in Nigeria and beyond. The key is understanding your market's needs, great timing, and a lot of guts. This one is relatively easy to start as anyone can start their store right in their bedroom. You don't necessarily have to keep inventory either through dropshipping.

Online store owners earn as much as ₦1,000,000 on average per year.

10. Ride-Sharing

Ride-sharing is a great side hustle in Nigeria, especially in urban areas. You can sign up with platforms such as Uber and Bolt and earn money by driving passengers to their destinations. If you love to drive around the city and you don't mind picking up and dropping people around, this is a great way to earn extra income.

On average a ride-share driver can earn ₦101,000 per year.

Looking to expand your skillset and pursue a high-paying career?

Discover how you can acquire the most in-demand skills with our free report, and open the doors to a successful career. Download the free report today!

Want to take your career even further? Consider how a BBA or MBA can help you develop these skills and increase your earning potential.

FAQs

Types Of Side Hustles In Nigeria

Product

Selling a product involves exchanging a physical or digital item for money. The product can be anything from a physical item like clothing or electronics, to digital products like software or e-books. To sell a product successfully, the seller must focus on product quality, marketing, and pricing. The key difference between selling a product and offering a service is that the former involves exchanging a tangible item for money. In contrast, the latter involves providing a skill or labor in exchange for payment.

Service

Offering a service involves providing a skill or labor in exchange for payment. Services can range from professional services like legal or accounting work to personal services like cleaning or pet sitting. Unlike selling a product, the success of offering a service is based on the quality of the service provided, customer satisfaction, and reputation. One of the key differences between offering a service and selling a product is that the former involves providing an intangible offering, while the latter involves selling a physical or digital item. Additionally, offering a service typically involves a higher degree of personal interaction and relationship-building with clients.

How To Get A Side Hustle Up And Running

Starting your side hustle can be daunting, especially for newbies. You can expect to work extra hours while also running the whole operation yourself. Here are 3 tips to start a side hustle as easy as possible.

Start with your skills

Most often than not, everyone has a skill that can be monetized. This can be because of a hobby that you have, a previous part-time job, or simply a skill you learned growing up. Start by listing all of the skills that you know. Make it as exhaustive as possible. After that, carefully read through them again but this time pick out the skills that you like doing, are good at, and could find a market. Say you're good at making digital art, you can easily turn this into a graphic design side hustle. Or if you are good at finding the best deals on airline tickets, you can make this into a little travel booking business.

Set realistic boundaries and actionable goals

The next step is to slowly materialize your side hustle idea by giving it clear boundaries and goals. Lofty goals are great but they are sometimes vague and unattainable which can make it hard for your business to get off the ground. Start with smaller actionable goals that are challenging yet doable. These must be big enough to be considered a major milestone yet not too big that it seems impossible. This can be "X amount of clients by end of year" or even "Make my first ₦100,000 in 5 months". 

Market yourself through Social Media

In this day and age, Social Media is the best method to advertise your side hustle. People use them regularly and are often the preferred method for consuming media. This means potential clients or customers for your business. Start by reaching out to your current network of friends and so anyone who would be interested. Make a separate business page for your side hustle and start connecting with people. do this regularly without being too sales-y. If you are consistent, sooner or later your audience will grow.

Why Is It Beneficial To Gain An BBA/MBA Degree

Develop critical thinking and leadership skills

Getting a BBA/MBA degree helps you develop the necessary soft skills that are in demand in today's job market. These programs challenge students to be strategic, effective communicators, and conscious decision-makers based on data and analysis, some of the high income skills in Nigeria. Students also get to learn leadership skills as they are expected to work in groups. These soft skills are highly valued in the job market they offer a road to career advancement. This leads to more opportunities and potentially higher income.

Gain a competitive edge in the job market

Employers are always looking for talents with good credentials and skills. A BBA degree, or even an MBA for that matter, is a great way to make your resume more noticeable. It tells potential employers that you have the right skills for the job. They will also help you grow your professional connections through alumni associations etc.

Expand your earning potential

Another advantage of a BBA/MBA degree is the possibility to increase your earning potential over time. You can leverage this when negotiating for a raise in pay if you are employed. Programs like MBAs also teach you skills in entrepreneurship and innovation to help you get your business ideas off the ground. By investing in your education now, you can market yourself as a highly valuable professional or a business-savvy entrepreneur in the future.

Conclusion

With the internet, getting a lucrative side hustle is at arm's reach. Technology has opened many possibilities to increase one's earning potential.

All you need is a great idea, a laptop, and an internet connection to start earning. But, as in all things, it requires dedication, perseverance, adequate research, and a whole lot of guts. 

Fortunately, there are many things you can do to help your side hustle journey, easy.

One of the best ways is to learn skills to help you run your small business.

A sure way to do this is by getting an online BBA program or an online MBA program in Nigeria, regardless of your physical location. These degrees will help you by teaching you the right soft skills to run your business. This will empower you to make the right business decisions and make increase your income potential.

Discover how you can acquire the most in-demand skills with our free report, and open the doors to making your side hustle business a success! Download the free report.