Nigeria鈥檚 economic realities often demand creativity and resilience to survive. For many, this means turning to side hustles to supplement their income. For some, these side gigs have become more lucrative than their primary jobs.
We spoke with Nigerians who are earning more from their side hustles, and the numbers are more than impressive. From freelancing and e-commerce to fashion design, these individuals revealed how they turned their side hustles into major income streams, and how you can do it too.
Samson*, 33
Occupation: Federal Government Civil Servant
Side Hustle: Meta Ads Media Buyer and Creative Strategist
Monthly Income: 鈧161k (from 9-5) + 鈧2.5m (from side hustles)
How do you make money from your side hustles? My side hustles bring me at least 鈧2.5m monthly. This is from my e-commerce hustle and a digital marketing agency in the US where I work as a Meta Ads and creative strategist. I also build websites for brands around the world using Shopify. I typically get these clients from LinkedIn. A Nigerian company also pays me 鈧50k/month to manage their website.
How did you start? Months after I started my civil service job in 2019, a friend introduced me to Shopify websites. He鈥檇 built one for a client, and when he showed me his invoice, I wanted to learn too. I can鈥檛 even remember how much he charged. I just wanted to experience the joy of earning dollars while working from home.
With his help, I began watching YouTube tutorials and learning how to build websites via Shopify. He also introduced me to Fiverr, and I was lucky to get my first client after two weeks on the platform. I charged her $20 for the website, but also managed to upsell her to make a few more dollars by telling her things I could do to improve her website. This was in January 2020.
The Shopify tutorial videos also led me to dropshipping videos, which made me interested in e-commerce. My idea was to import items from China and sell them using Meta Ads, so I started learning how to run the ads. I also worked with some marketing agencies on Fiverr to improve my skills.
Between 2020 and 2023, I made an average of 鈧300k – 鈧400k monthly freelancing on Fiverr, Upwork and LinkedIn.
I started making good money from my side hustles, specifically e-commerce, in 2024. I initially tried to sell to only Americans because I didn鈥檛 think Nigerians would buy, but my efforts weren鈥檛 successful. Then I visited my mum and noticed she had a big massage machine and a sitting massager. When I asked where she bought them, she said, 鈥淔acebook.鈥 I thought, 鈥淚f my mum can buy something worth over 鈧200k via Facebook Ads, there must be many other Nigerians ready to buy too.鈥
So, I switched my strategy to selling physical products to Nigerians and only services to my US audience. It worked.
Now, I make at least 鈧1m/month from e-commerce alone.
For anyone willing to start, I recommend taking a course on how to run Meta Ads and stack up on skills like copywriting, marketing, designing, and building websites 鈥 these skills complement each other.
How do you juggle your side hustles with your 9-5? I鈥檓 not married, so I have all the time to work. I鈥檓 also considering leaving my civil service job soon. I don鈥檛 like the job, and it doesn鈥檛 let me actively use my brain as my side hustles do.
Also, I don鈥檛 fear going broke without a salary. I know all I need to make money is to get a product people want and sell it to them by creating great offers and pushing them with paid ads.
Jane*, 19
Occupation: Social Media Manager
Side Hustle: YouTube Script Writer
Monthly Income: 鈧70k (from 9-5) + 鈧300k average (from side hustle)
How do you make money from your side hustle? I search for as many script-writing gigs as I can find. Currently, I make 鈧15/word writing YouTube scripts.
How did you start? I found scriptwriting by chance in December 2024. A friend called for YouTube script writers to work with someone she knew, and I said I could do it. I鈥檇 actually never done it before, but I learned on the job.
My employer paid me 鈧5/word, and I made 鈧300k in the first month because of the volume of scripts I worked on. I worked with him for a few months until he started moving funny and lying about things to reduce my pay. So, I found another client around July.
That one initially paid 鈧6/word but then cut it to 鈧2.5 after claiming that the channel owner cut down on what they were willing to pay. It was stressful work because I still had to find YouTube clips and pictures to insert into the script, but at least I made the urgent 鈧15k or 鈧12k per script. I was also still taking gigs from my first employer occasionally.
Then, while scrolling on Twitter in August 2025, I saw another script-writing job opening. I applied and got the job through the actual owner of the YouTube channel, not the exploitative middlemen I鈥檇 worked with previously. This job pays 鈧15/word, and I can make between 鈧300k – 鈧450k/month depending on the number of scripts I write.
I鈥檝e not done script-writing for so long, but I鈥檇 advise anyone who wants to do it to just search for gigs. As long as you鈥檙e actively searching, you鈥檒l definitely find something. Search first and learn on the job. At least that鈥檚 what I did.
How do you juggle your side hustle with your 9-5? My job is a hybrid role, so I only need to be on site a few days a week. I think I鈥檒l stick with both jobs for a while. I don鈥檛 exactly enjoy social media management; the pay isn鈥檛 so great. But I figure I鈥檓 just gaining expertise and experience for the future.
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Olamide*, 27
Occupation: Customer Service Officer
Side Hustle: Fashion Designer
Monthly Income: 鈧250k (from 9-5) + 鈧500k average (from side hustle)
How do you make money from your side hustle? I get clients through word-of-mouth, social media, and my outfits. I work in an insurance company, meaning I wear corporate dresses day in and day out. People always ask me where I get my dresses from, and I plug in my hustle.
I make at least 鈧500k monthly from ready-to-wear corporate dresses and a few custom orders. I鈥檇 easily make far more if I didn鈥檛 have to divide my time between my office job and my side hustle.
How did you start? I鈥檝e always known how to make clothes. My mum is a tailor, and tailoring was the first skill my siblings and I learnt growing up. I knew how to make my own aso-ebi dresses and the occasional Sunday outfit.
In 2020, I got my first office job and realised I couldn鈥檛 keep up with buying cute corporate dresses on my 鈧100k salary. So, I started watching YouTube tutorials to learn how to make corporate dresses. I also experimented a lot and taught myself how to design. I decided to monetise my skills in 2021 because people saw my outfits and wanted me to also make dresses for them.
At first, I took custom orders, but those took more time. So, I switched to making one design at a time and selling them as ready-to-wear 鈥 I only had to make size adjustments where necessary. My dresses usually cost between 鈧30k and 鈧35k. I make the occasional custom order, but those are usually for aso-ebi dresses and cost at least 鈧100k.
How do you juggle your side hustle with your 9-5? It鈥檚 hell. I live in Lagos, and traffic usually means I don鈥檛 get home until at least 8 p.m. Then I sew from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. before I sleep and wake up by 5 a.m. to begin the grind again.
I鈥檓 still holding on because I actually love my 9-5 job. I like going to an office and wearing my dresses. I also really like fashion design. The goal is to get a job that pays me at least 鈧600k so I can get a tailor to sew for me while I just give them the designs.
Wisdom*, 29
Occupation: HR Personnel
Side Hustle: Academic Writer
Monthly Income: 鈧400k (from 9-5) + 鈧700k average (from side hustle)
How do you make money from your side hustle? I write statements of purpose, essays and research papers for people who are either trying to relocate for studies or are already there. Most of these clients come from my social media push 鈥 I鈥檓 pretty active on Twitter and Instagram. I also rewrite CVs and write cover letters occasionally.
How did you start? I鈥檓 honestly just an efiko. There was a period between 2019 and 2022 when I was actively trying to get into a postgraduate program abroad. I always got the admissions, but funding and visas were the problem. The few times I got partial funding, I didn鈥檛 get a visa. So, I just gave up and took an HR job.
In 2023, a friend asked me to help write his statement of purpose for a scholarship. I didn鈥檛 charge for it; he just gave me 鈧10k to appreciate my help. After he landed the scholarship, his circle of friends asked to see his statement of purpose. He shared it and plugged my services, and that鈥檚 how I got my first set of clients.
I made about 鈧120k writing statements and essays for his friends and decided to make it a full-on side hustle. So, I started making noise about my services on social media, and the clients kept coming.
Besides knowing how to write, learning how to sell your skill is very important. In fact, anyone can learn how to write if they practice enough. But you also need to ensure people know what you do.
A portfolio helps when applying to jobs. Academic writing can be a bit tricky because I can鈥檛 always share people鈥檚 personal essays as evidence of work, even though I wrote them. But I work around that by blurring out personal details where applicable. Fortunately, most of my clients come to me, so I don鈥檛 have to struggle to show workings.
How do you juggle your side hustle with your 9-5? It鈥檚 not too much to juggle. I just have the mindset that I鈥檓 in my hustle era. Plus, my jobs afford me the ability to picture my japa dreams coming true in the near future. I鈥檓 aggressively saving my income and have started an Express Entry japa route. I hope to leave this country by the end of 2026.
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Kola*, 36
Occupation: Site Manager
Side Hustle: Architectural/Building Designs
Monthly Income: 鈧200k (from 9-5) + 鈧300k average (from side hustle)
How do you make money from your side hustle? I鈥檓 already in the construction industry and get design gigs through referrals and word-of-mouth. Whenever people ask me about landed properties, I make sure to chip in that I can design their buildings too. I also have some architect friends who I whine to give me work from time to time.
How did you start? I鈥檝e been designing since uni. I learnt a bit of architectural design as part of my building degree in school, and over the years, I鈥檝e improved my skills by practising 2D and 3D designs with different software like AutoCAD, SketchUp and Revit.
My income from the designs became more regular after joining my current workplace in 2023. Before, I鈥檇 make 鈧50k – 鈧100k every other month from 2D designs. But now, I鈥檓 sure of at least 鈧300k, and that鈥檚 if I only make one 3D design for a client. Most times, I get at least two gigs a month.
How do you juggle your side hustle with your 9-5? Fortunately for me, my side hustle closely ties into my day-to-day job, so it鈥檚 pretty seamless. There are the usual late nights to meet deadlines, but it鈥檚 not difficult to handle. It鈥檚 the price I have to pay to provide a fairly comfortable life for my wife and kids.
*Names have been changed for the sake of anonymity.
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