If you are looking to make money as a complete beginner, one of the very first steps you are going to need to take is to learn a skill. Thankfully, there are so many lucrative digital skills to learn in Nigeria.
In past years, you would have needed to spend a lot to learn a handy skill. Thanks to the internet, digital skills are becoming a lot more profitable to learn in Nigeria.
With your digital skill, you can start signing clients and making money without spending a dime.
Most freelancers earn 5-6 Figures per month offering basic skills online just so you know.
Once you learn these digital skills, it stays for life. You can always offer them to clients and make money from the comfort of your home.
You can even start up an agency to offer these skills on a large scale. These are just some of the more popular ways to make money with digital skills in Nigeria.
In this post, I’d be shedding more light on several other profitable ways to make money with some specific skills.
To learn a profitable skill, you only need to invest the upfront time to learn them. Once you have these skills in your toolbox, your only limit is your imagination.
The skills on this list were handpicked by market analysts as the best digital skills to learn in Nigeria.
Their analysis was based on stats gathered on the spike in market demand for these skills.
14 Best Digital Skills To Learn In Nigeria
- Digital Marketing
- Writing
- Book Keeping
- Coding and Tech
- Content Creation
- Simple Website Design
- Digital Photography
- Translating
- Video Editing, Production, and Marketing
- Virtual assistance and Project Management
- Transcription
- Online Advertising
- UI/UX DESIGN
- Community Management
Digital Skills To Learn In Nigeria
1. Organic Marketing
Digital marketing has always been a lucrative digital skill option and that still stands to date.
On this updated list, we have chosen to come clean. Demand for freelancers skilled at organic marketing specifically has seen a huge spike these few years.
So what exactly is organic marketing?
Organic marketing is a type of digital marketing that involves growing an audience from scratch.
With organic marketing, you are going to be growing target audiences on various channels without spending a dime on media promotion.
Some of these channels include blogs, social media platforms, and communities/forums.
The idea is to first learn how these channels and their algorithms work. Then grow multiple channels as proof of your expertise.
Once that’s set, you can start offering these skills to businesses looking to market their products.
There’s a reason why online marketing is becoming much more in demand. Business owners are starting to understand that their customers are getting more knowledgeable.
Slapping up some ads to pitch their products isn’t going to cut it anymore. Potential customers are more likely to buy products from brands they know, and trust.
Building a strong brand requires a lot of work and strategy. Most business owners know the importance of this skill and are more than willing to outsource brand marketing to experts.
Hence, the reason why the demand for organic marketers has increased immensely.
More so, you can apply the skills you learn as an organic marketer to build a brand of your own.
Remember, where there’s traffic, there’s money to be made. Once you are able to learn the art of organic marketing, you can easily try these 7 income streams for digital marketers.
If you are seriously considering online marketing as a digital skill to learn in Nigeria, here are some sub-skills to choose from:
a. Search Engine Optimization
Search engine optimization is one skill that’s always going to be profitable for both freelancers and businesses.
This skill involves creating content for search engines and optimizing them to rank at the top of search results.
With this strategy, you will be building an audience using the power of Google.
Quick question: The last time you had a probing question, where did you go to find answers? Most likely Google.
Google has a huge database of content that can be searched at any time and also gets billions of searches every single day.
If you are able to learn the art of search engine optimization, you can help business to create content that ranks on Google and drives traffic to their website.
This traffic is free and can easily be converted to sales and revenue for this business. The magical thing about SEO is you only have to do the work once.
Once you rank a website, it stays up on Google and will continue to send in traffic without any extra work.
This is as opposed to marketing social media, where you will be required to create content consistently to engage your audience and make sales.
SEO is the strategy behind how you came across my website. Using SEO, I have been able to send in thousands of visitors to my website and some of these visitors end up buying my products.
With SEO, I literally make money while I sleep and you can too. With SEO in your toolbox, there are several ways you can make money online, some of which include:
- Offer your services to business owners
- Use SEO to start affiliate marketing
- Rank Product pages and make e-commerce sales
- Start blogging and make money with Google Adsense
You can realistically make 5-6 Figures with SEO in Nigeria. If SEO and its profitable nature sound like a YES to you, then I have a surprise for you.
I have compiled all of my best tips and tricks for how I rank my website on Google using SEO. This guide is comprehensive and concise.
Even as a complete beginner, you will be able to learn how SEO works in no time. So as to start offering this profitable skill to business owners and earning a profit from doing so.
Check out my very own SEO guide on Amazon and get started with this digital skill.
b. Social Media Marketing
Growing a following with SEO isn’t everyone’s deal. So here’s another worthy option, SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING.
Almost everyone these days has a social media account.
As long as there’s traffic on social media, you can make a lot of money, by either growing your own following or offering your growth services to business owners.
Social media accounts are free to get started with. You can therefore practice for free for as long as you want.
There are so many social media platforms you can market on including TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and even Whatsapp.
If you currently have a small following on any of these platforms, then that might be your sign to get started with social media marketing.
Rember to choose one platform, learn how their algorithm works, and grow a portfolio of engaged accounts to show off to businesses so as to land them clients.
YouTube university is one of the best places to learn this skill. Find how influencers are growing social media accounts and try to replicate their strategy.
If you want to learn the basics of organic marketing, take this free online marketing class to get started.
2. Writing
Writing has been and will always be one of the best digital skills to learn in Nigeria.
With so many people turning to the internet for information, it’s so easy to conclude that this skill isn’t going anyway.
From Video scripts to course outlines and books, you shouldn’t let anyone fool you into thinking writing to being a generic skill.
This skill alone can bag you several thousand dollars online.
As a freelance writer, you can aim to make $500-$1500 every single month by offering this single skill to business owners and entrepreneurs.
The only problem with this skill is the fierce competition you’ll have to break through to be profitable as a writer.
If you’re going to be offering this skill as a freelancer on platforms like Fiverr, Upwork, and some other freelance sites available online, you need narrow down your focus.
So as opposed to being a generic writer, you are better off focusing on a particular topic and pitching your writing services to business owners who need your particular offering.
Freelancing is only one of the many ways a good writer can hope to earn a living online.
Some other income streams you can build as a writer in Nigeria includes:
a. Blogging
I’m sure you’ve heard of how profitable blogging can be, and as a writer, it is so easy to start a blog based on your passion and monetize in the different ways available online.
A new Nigerian blogger can realistically make N100,000 every single month from the several income streams owning a blog can bring including Google AdSense, affiliate marketing, e-Commerce sales, and consultancy.
If you are ready to get started with blogging, here are some of the best blogging platforms to try out in Nigeria.
Some of the blogging platforms on this list will require you to pay some money upfront to set up while others are completely free to start blogging on.
So you don’t have to pay a dime if you don’t want to.
b. Self Publishing
Another way to monetize your writing skill is by self-publishing.
Self-publishing is becoming more and more popular in Nigeria as more writers are earning a killing selling books online.
Remember when you had to invest a lot of money & time to have a book published in your name?
Now it only takes your writing skill and some days of research. With Amazon KDP, there’s no cost at all to have a book published online bagging your profits every single month.
So how does this business model work?
There are different platforms that allow you to publish your books online for free.
Most of these platforms have millions of monthly visitors looking for books to buy. Your book might just be the next in line.
Some example platforms to upload your book onto include:
- Amazon KDP
- Kobo
- Draft2Digital
If you don’t mind making an extra $500 per month selling books for free online, then read this article to learn how Amazon KDP works and how you can make money on Amazon KDP in Nigeria.
3. BookKeeping
Ask any business owner this one question “what’s the hardest part of running a business”?
The most common answer you’d hear is “managing their books.
By books I simply mean, balancing the revenue, cash flow, and expenses to be able to figure out the profits they make and how much has to go in for taxes.
Most businesses run huge losses because of poor management of their books.
Given that it takes so much time to do this, any smart business owner will be willing to outsource this aspect of their business to a professional.
It a win-win situation, they save themselves the time spent on managing books while they focus on the crucial aspect of running their business. This is where you come in.
You simply learn bookkeeping in a matter of days by taking affordable courses online.
Once you get a hang of the skill, you can start by getting free certifications online and then reaching out to huge and profitable businesses you think might need your services.
You can also build your work resume by finding clients on Job boards, Upwork, and Fiverr. Bookkeeping is certainly one of the best Digital Skills To Learn In Nigeria.
4. Coding and Tech skills
Coding is one skill I really wish I had.
Many tech experts and developers are earning big from writing scripts and code.
From apps to software tools, many entrepreneurs are willing to throw in all they have to get a tech expert to bring their startup idea to life.
With the insanely profitable nature of the app and software business model, coding as a skill can turn out to be a huge asset to you as a freelancer without any cost.
With coding, you can actualize million-dollar ideas and start making money online by building apps and software.
Take Facebook, for instance, an app that started with a single line of code now making multiple 8 figures every year.
If you have the time and focus, I highly recommend learning this as one of the more profitable digital skills to learn In Nigeria
5. Content Creation
Content is the fuel of the internet, from Netflix movies to TikTok videos and Instagram feeds.
With content, it’s so easy to garner attention and build an engaged audience. With an audience of your own, the sky is the limit to how much money you can make online.
How To Make Money With Content Creation
- The Google AdSense program
- Creator rewards on social media (Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok all have creator fund programs)
- Affiliate marketing
- Sponsorships
- Product sales
There are so many ways people consume content online.
The first step to becoming a content creator is by honing your creative skills.
Take courses to learn how to improve the quality of your content in order to keep your audience engaged.
6. Simple Website Design
I just had to add in “SIMPLE” to qualify this skill in particular because, on a grade of 1-10, web design skills can vary.
So what do I mean by SIMPLE?
First off, you need to understand that there are so many ways to build a professional website.
You could use a simple website builder with customizable templates, build your template from scratch using Figma or code up a professional website.
Notwithstanding the route you choose to go with this skill, a website is a website if you know what you’re doing.
To learn simple website design using customizable templates, you just need to choose a website builder, learn how these platforms work, and hone your skill.
You can edit these website templates by changing the fonts, colors, and media. There are several website builders and they all work virtually the same way.
Create a new website, select a template and customize these templates as you please.
Some of the Best Website Builders in Nigeria include:
- Elementor
- Wix
- Weebly
- Squarespace
- WordPress.com
- Shopify
Choose one of these platforms and learn how to design aesthetic websites with them. Once you’re confident enough, start marketing your services as a website designer.
For each of these website builders, there are several free tutorials on YouTube. Watch these tutorials and soon enough, you’ll start earning as a website designer.
To get clients as a website designer, you’re better off reaching out to business owners that don’t have a website set up yet, explaining the benefits of owning a website, and convincing them to let you build their website.
7. Photography
With the rise of viral growth on social media platforms like TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Instagram Reels, many new influencers have been made.
These influencers are in constant need of quality photos to build their personal brand on social media.
Here’s how most influencers think:
Instagram is one of the most profitable social media platforms to build a brand on.
This is because most brands and businesses prefer to sponsor Instagram influencers a great deal more than influencers on other social media platforms.
So no matter what social media platform it was they went viral on, they’re most likely going to want to grow an Instagram following.
Instagram being an image-sharing platform thrives on these images and so there’s a need for consistent photoshoot sessions to be able to build up its content library.
As a photographer, you can easily get placed on a retainer-based payment plan and that’s predictable income for your business.
8. Translating
Translation might seem like an extremely basic skill but when you look deep this skill is really profitable, versatile, and in high demand.
Translation in a fact is a really valuable skill to business owners and entrepreneurs looking to expand their reach across the globe and cater to customers they wouldn’t have otherwise had access to.
If you think about it in that line, you’ll be able to clearly see the gold in learning other languages and being able to translate content for businesses.
Moreso, translation is a skill anyone can get started with just by taking classes on platforms like Udemy, Duolingo, and more.
To get started with translation, you will need to pick a language and then start classes to learn those languages.
Some of the most versatile languages include Spanish, French, German, and Latin.
Just think of top-tier countries that don’t have English as their first language, that’s how you find a golden language.
Fun Fact: On average, it takes less than a month to learn a new language and once you’ve acquired this skill, you could even offer your services in person by becoming an ambassador for a company.
Trust me you can do this remotely.
As far as the online world is concerned, there’s so much potential for you as a translator and I kid you not, there’s so much money to be made.
You could write books and translate them into different languages or simply become a freelance translator on platforms like Fiverr and Upwork.
The golden trait about this skill is how you can easily cut through the noise and become extremely profitable by just creating an online business in a niche that’s in demand but not hugely serviced.
Think about it, most businesses are in the English world with barely enough people tendering their services to other customers in other languages and as you know, when there’s demand, there’s certainly a lot of money to be made.
In my frank opinion, translation is one of the more sophisticated digital skills to learn In Nigeria
9. Video Editing, Production, and Marketing
Video marketing has become more and more important for businesses as consumers are beginning to engage more with video content than any other content format.
This is the basic reason video platforms like YouTube and TikTok have become so active these days.
The more businesses are able to hone the skill of producing engaging videos for these thriving platforms, the more profitable they could potentially be.
As a video editor, you could easily apply this skill in growing a brand of your own or simply offer your services to businesses and entrepreneurs.
Either way, there’s a lot of money to be made with video marketing.
Platforms like Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube now pay their creators a reasonable amount and hence more creators are willing to invest heavily in the creative aspect of their business.
With the increasing number of rising creators and influencers, there’s only so much I can say about the potential clients you could work with to earn big online.
Most of these creators don’t have the tech knowledge needed to handle video tools, gadgets, and software.
Others might just be too busy handling other affairs of their business to even focus on video editing and creation.
You simply go in, learn this skill and pitch your valuable offer to these creators.
Remember any product or service that saves time for a business owner or entrepreneur is automatically deemed valuable and so your offer is simply going to be an easy sell.
As for how you’ll be getting booked out, you could once again list your services on freelance platforms like Fiverr and Upwork.
You could also reach out to creators on TikTok and YouTube with your service offering.
These creators understand that creating content is way too time demanding only to have no one watch the actual content.
So your job as a video editor and producer is to learn the various elements of an engaging video. Then implement your skill into creating better content for these creators.
This could significantly help them gain more followers, make more money and retain you as an in-house video producer.
10. Virtual assistance and Project Management
The next service on my list is one that has hugely grown in demand and popularity and it’s virtual assistance.
More people are choosing to start businesses online.
The successful ones always tend to realize really quickly they don’t have a superpower.
With only 24 hours to their day, they understand it’s impossible to run their business and scale profitably all by themselves.
This is the reason why more entrepreneurs and business owners see the value in hiring skilled virtual assistants.
Virtual assistance has a role similar to that of a regular personal assistant.
They assist business owners on the backend by handling more repetitive and less intuitive business tasks and projects like data entry, invoicing, client outreach e.t.c
Allowing these business owners to focus more on handling the intricacies of their business.
Running a business is quite hard. If you could simply take the burden off a business owner, you could potentially make a lot of money.
You don’t need to learn any new skills to become a virtual assistant.
Virtual assistance is simply a hybrid of several high-in-demand skills. You get to make different service offerings depending on the needs of the business in question.
When your service package for a content creator might include services like content research, creation, batching, and scheduling.
Whereas your service package to a business owner could include: invoicing, bookkeeping, client outreach, and customer service.
11. Transcription
Transcription is a really easy skill that could make anyone a lot of money and it basically involves you converting voice content to text.
The reason why this skill is so important in the online or creator economy is that most creators create content in one single format, most likely YouTube or a Podcast.
If you could help these creators convert their videos or podcast content into blog posts, you’ll be helping them leverage extra traffic from Google, which they’re not have otherwise had access to.
Trust me, there’s no hassle in transcription, this skill is the most basic with nothing hard to learn.
You’re more than qualified for this skill once you can type a lot faster than the average keyword user.
To get started with this skill, you simply need to do a lot of practicing and time yourself as you convert these voice recordings into text.
Focus on decreasing the time rate it takes for you to write out a script and you’ll be well on your way to becoming a professional transcriptionist.
You could pitch your services to YouTubers and podcasters to get clients for your skill as a transcriptionist.
You could also check out platforms like Rev.com, gotranscript and transcribe.me, which are marketplaces where business owners and creators go in search of a freelancer for one skill.
12. Online Advertisement
Organic marketing is no doubt the best way to drive traffic and market your products and services but it lacks one thing.
Predictable traffic.
These businesses understand that to scale profitably online, they’d need a source of predictable traffic, and paid ads to happen to provide that exactly.
Online advertisement is a marketing strategy that involves paying different platforms to have them send you targeted traffic to your business.
Some of the common paid ad platforms include YouTube, Google, Instagram, Bing, and a lot more.
As a freelancer with this skill, you could help businesses run their ads and get paid in return.
These businesses understand that running paid ads without proper knowledge of how each of these ad platforms works will simply mean them putting in a lot of money without any return on investment.
Most businesses don’t mind outsourcing this aspect of their business.
To get started, you’d first need to learn this skill and practice your services in real time. You need to be able to get real results for yourself, then gather case studies for your portfolio.
Once that’s all ready, you could then go ahead to pitch your services to business owners.
13. UI /UX Design
Earlier, we talked about how simple website design can be a truly profitable digital skill to learn in Nigeria, UI/UX design is the top-level and more advanced version.
As explained before, for basic website design, you simply need to use templates from website builders like elementor and wix.
Then tweak a few elements here and there to come up with a new website design of your own.
On the other hand, with UI/UX website design, you’d be leveraging pure creativity and precision to build unique websites from scratch.
Most businesses would love a unique design as opposed to a generic copy of what already exists.
Hence, UI/UX design is a high-level skill to learn online in Nigeria as it’s worth more than what the generic website design package can be priced at.
As a UI/UX designer, you’d have to learn and master the use of software tools like Figma and Adobe to create new and unique websites.
14. Community Management
Communities are one of the most valuable assets for business owners, creators, and entrepreneurs.
More people are starting to realize that the number of followers they have doesn’t necessarily equal the number of sales that could be potentially made.
So to ensure a healthy sales and conversion rate, business owners now focus more on building engaged communities.
People will only buy from businesses they know and trust.
Since a community is a group of people who already love your brand.
They will most likely be the first to buy from you. Once you have those initial sales, you could start getting the testimonials and feedback you need to improve your service.
This is why more businesses see the value in hiring a community manager who can help them build engaged brands.
Your job as a manager is simple, go into their community, answer their DMs and respond to the comments on their posts.
You’ll also need to create engaging posts on a regular basis.
If you love interacting with people on the internet, then you’re a perfect community manager already.
FAQs on Digital Skills To Learn In Nigeria
Digital marketing is one of the best skills you can have in your toolbox.
With how the internet has blown up, businesses will do anything to reach their customers online using digital marketing.
There are so many skills you can learn to make money but in this day and age, the most lucrative ones are digital skills that can be done remotely.
These skills can be learned in as little as some months and can be offered using just a laptop and an internet connection.
Some of the best digital skills to learn in Nigeria include Website design, digital marketing, and coding.