What do Pixar, Google, Microsoft, and Spleet have in common? All companies oversaw mass layoffs in 2024—a growing trend since 2023, when over 200,000 employees lost their jobs.
As a Nigerian, a potential mass layoff isn’t the only headache that should bother you. The country is also facing severe economic hardship (at 33.2% in March 2024, inflation was at a 28-year high), forcing organisations to employ freelancers to boost efficiency on a shrewd budget without upsetting overhead costs.
The high inflation numbers and tough job market explain why Nigerian Zoomers are likely to have more than one income stream, as freelancing jobs and skills take centre stage. Fiverr, a global platform for freelancer services, discovered that almost 70% of Zoomers globally are freelancing or plan to do so in the future.
Despite organisations’ growing shift toward independent contractors, not every freelance skill and job is financially lucrative. That's why we curated a list of high-paying freelance skills and jobs you should learn in 2024.
Top 5 high-paying Freelance Skills and Jobs to Learn in Nigeria in 2024
1. Digital Marketing (or online marketing)
Digital marketers use digital platforms to promote products and services. Unlike traditional marketing, which focuses on billboards, magazines, and television commercials, digital marketing reaches its target audience through websites, social media, search engines, and emails. Content creation, paid advertising, organic traffic generation, and social media management are some of the main responsibilities of digital marketers in Nigeria.
Like many roles in the gig economy, salary compensation depends on experience and skill levels, project scope and complexity, clientele industry and location, and organisation size. Glassdoor, a website for reviewing companies, estimated that Nigerian digital marketers earn #208,000–#660,000 million monthly. Globally, online marketers make around $50/hr, with an annual salary of $100,000.
2. Content writing and social media management
The content writing industry has arguably the lowest barrier to entry on this list. Content writers create articles and posts for blogs, websites, social media platforms, and other digital products. The service range includes expert-led or product-fit content, promotional materials, and opinion pieces.
Businesses employ content writers to improve discoverability and authority on search engines and social media platforms. The main skills content writers need are search engine optimisation (SEO)—the marketing tactic that makes websites and content discoverable on the search engine—editing, research, storytelling, and persuasive
Content writers' average monthly base pay is #60,000–#150,000 in metropolitan areas like Lagos. You'll likely receive higher pay on freelance platforms like Fiverr and Upwork, where content writers earn $25–47/hr and $15–40/hr, respectively.
Social media technology was the next big thing after the dot-com bubble in the early 2000s, coinciding with the growth of digital products and web applications. Over the next two decades, businesses turned to social media networks to boost their online presence, build product awareness, and connect with customers. Social media management designs the content for social channels.
In Nigeria, social media managers earn an average monthly salary of #100,000 and an estimated total pay of #190,000 monthly. Upwork pegs are $14–$35 as the media hourly rates of social media managers.
3. Virtual Assistant
Virtual assistants (VAs) provide administrative, technical, and creative assistance from a remote location. Think of VAs as digital office assistants. The responsibilities of VAs include:
appointment scheduling and managing travel arrangements.
organising email correspondence and calls.
customer support, managing social media accounts and client relations, and gathering information.
The global VA market was worth $2.48 billion in 2022, with 24.48% expected growth between 2021 and 2028. Understandably, the shift toward flexible working increased the demand for VAs. In Nigeria, VAs earn an estimated #340,000 as total pay, with #78,000–#253,000 as the base pay and #120,000–#240,000 as the additional pay.
4. Software development, web development, and mobile app development
In 2011, Anderssen Horowitz (a venture capitalist and seasoned investor) predicted that software companies are “poised to take over large swatches of the economy, ” suggesting that more companies will turn to software products as internet connectivity grows.
More than a decade later, his theory couldn't be more true. The application software market generated revenue worth over $600 billion in 2024, and it's expected to reach $858 trillion in 2028. Nigeria, grappling with a talent shortage in the software development niche, is turning to freelance platforms to fill the gap. In 2022, software development was the fastest-growing skill on Freelance.com.
The growing use of software explains why you're likely reading this piece on a smartphone or personal computer powered by dozens of software programs. Software development is the root of designing and creating software systems, programs, and applications. It covers web development (creating web browsers’ applications) and mobile development (designing applications for mobile devices, tablets, and social media).
Software developers must understand programming languages, data structures and algorithms, debugging, and the relationship between software and databases.
In Nigeria, software developers earn #296,000–#932,000 monthly, with an average salary of #300,000. Web developers earn #260,000–#4 million monthly (including bonuses), earning #180,000 every month on average. The estimated monthly salary of mobile (android) developers in Lagos is #325,000. Similarly, web and mobile developers earn $30–$120+ as the median hourly rate on Upwork.
5. Graphic design
Graphic designers use visual elements like typography, images, colours, shapes, and software tools to communicate ideas. They create logos, branding and marketing materials, and user interface (UI) layouts for websites, apps, print designs, advertising boards, and packaging designs.
Glassdoor estimates that graphic designers earn #385,000 (including bonuses), with an average monthly salary of #120,000. On Upwork, the median hourly rate of graphic designers is $15–$35. The pay, however, depends on project type and duration.
FAQs about high-paying freelance skills and jobs to learn in Nigeria in 2024
How do freelancers receive and withdraw money from international clients in Nigeria?
The table below contains various payment options for freelancers in Nigeria.
Payment mode | Description | Pros | Cons |
Direct bank transfer to your domiciliary account or Nigerian account. | A domiciliary account lets you accept foreign currencies (e.g., dollars, euros, and pounds). | You’ll receive the payment in the currency you prefer.
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Cash pick-up at the bank | Payment apps (e.g., TransferGo, WorldRemit, and Remitly) offer multi-currency payment remittance. They also provide physical cash pick-up | They let you receive money in your preferred currency. |
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Intermediary payment apps | Payment apps (Payoneer, PayPal, and Skrill) provide global payment | Some payment apps, like Payoneer, offer an American bank account, making it easy to receive payments from clients in the US and its environs.
Some intermediary apps are easy to link with freelance platforms like Upwork.
Some apps integrate with local and domiciliary bank accounts, making withdrawals easy. |
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Cryptocurrency platforms, such as Crane. | Cryptocurrency platforms (e.g., Crane) convert crypto to local currency. | Swift payment with negligible transaction fees. No middleman is involved.
There are no excessive charges, such as card maintenance and processing fees.
Uses the updated exchange rate for crypto-to-cash conversions.
Some cryptocurrency apps (e.g., Crane) let you save in crypto or convert to the local currency of choice.
No location restrictions—you can receive payment from anywhere. | Some individuals don’t pay in crypto yet. |
How do I start freelancing with no experience?
Follow the steps below to kickstart a freelance career without prior experience.
Define your skills and interests: Your worth in the freelance industry is directly tied to your skillset. To succeed as a freelancer, decide the skills (e.g., content writing, social media management, software development) that interest you. Sharpen your knowledge of the skills you chose. This includes taking online courses and volunteering for projects.
Show your work: As a newbie, document your process and the projects you execute. The activities constitute your portfolio, which shows your capabilities and work experience.
Join freelancing platforms: Freelancing platforms (e.g., Upwork, Superpath, and Fiverr) are a marketplace for independent contractors. Once you're ready to execute projects, freelance communities make it easy to connect with potential clients.