In Nigeria, it’s common knowledge now that everyone needs at least two income streams. The easiest way to get that is through freelancing. Many Nigerians are finding their way around their hurdles by taking their skills global.
Instead of waiting for the local market to catch up, they’re tapping into the foreign market to earn in dollars, pounds, and euros, all while living right here at home. This shift has reshaped how they see work, stability, and possibility.
For this article, I spoke to two freelancers who have multiple income streams. It ended up being an “aspire to perspire” session, but with genuine, relatable stories.
Also read: How to budget as a freelancer and manage irregular income
I started as an editorial assistant for a publishing company. I even worked on one of the most popular Christian books in Nigeria. Then, during my NYSC year, I worked as a teacher, and the salary was ₦7,000, a whole graduate o. I also took a content writing job for a travel blog. The pay was ₦40,000 per month, decent pay for me at the time. My lead was really cool. I’ve always been lucky with bosses, to be honest. The website crashed, so all my work there is essentially gone.
After NYSC, I worked as an editorial assistant, then as a journalist. Now I work at a fintech and freelance at a publication as a writer that pays me in USD. Altogether, I now earn over a million naira monthly, with a good part of that coming from my freelance job.
At first, my dream was to pursue a PhD. I even tried twice. But my school, coughs UNILAG, didn’t send my transcript in time. Eventually, I decided to focus on earning money instead. I still love learning, but right now, I love being able to afford the lifestyle I want even more.
Earning globally has completely changed my day-to-day life. I no longer rely on public transport. I can outsource chores like laundry, order food when I don’t feel like cooking, and buy books, jewellery, and clothes whenever I feel like it. Ten years ago, I wouldn’t have thought I could afford this level of comfort. Now, I can.
I use Grey for salary. It’s reliable, the fees are transparent, and I don’t have to deal with delays. I don’t even like waiting for my money.
Remote work makes it a bit easier to have rest periods, even during the day, but I believe you shouldn’t be the reason your team or company falls short. To be honest I’m not exactly passionate about working, I just like the freedom and lifestyle it allows me to enjoy. So I always give my best effort.
My advice to anyone wanting to start earning globally while staying rooted locally is to take whatever you’re doing seriously. Opportunities often come through referrals and reputation. In fact, I got my current publication role because someone referred me after seeing the quality of my work. So yes, update your CV and LinkedIn, but most importantly, show up and do your job well.
Also read: How much should you charge as a freelancer?
I still laugh when I think about how it all started.
My first real taste of work came just before NYSC, where I worked at a recreational park. I was meant to manage plants, but somehow I found myself helping with their social media, pitching business ideas, and making content. That planted the seed (pun intended).
Since then, I’ve moved through some exciting media and tech spaces. First worked as a designer in a marketing agency. It was tough. You know all those job ads when they say they’re fast-paced, that’s exactly how agencies are. Soon, they drafted me to start doing a bit of content creation and digital marketing there. The pay was about ₦120,000. From there, I switched to core writing at a media company, then a PR company. That’s where my writing was fine-tuned properly.
I used to think I was great. I was humbled seeing multiple comments from my editor on every first draft. I soon got used to it. The standards were high, and I needed to adjust. My last two roles have been in tech companies. And I loved them.
For freelance work, I’ve mostly done design, but sometime last year, some guy reached out to me on LinkedIn and said he was hiring ghostwriters. It was a contract role where I’d be writing threads for his company’s clients on X. I still always call it Twitter, though. The pay was $25 per post. It wasn’t rigid. And I could just deliver the number of posts I was comfortable with. I’m not even sure how many I write per month. Depends on how I’m feeling. But it’s excellent as a passive income. Everything I earn just keeps stacking up in my Grey account. I only withdraw when there’s a proper emergency or a big purchase, like when I bought my phone.
I still get one or two design gigs that I take up when I’m feeling it. But life’s been good so far. I don’t spend a lot of money, except on food, as I love ordering food.
Earning a global income is great. I know there’s still a lot more for me to achieve. Honestly, the only way from here is up.
Also read: How to land your first client as a freelancer
Nigerians are proving that talent has no borders. With the right skills, determination, and tools, you can work with foreign clients. The only missing piece for many freelancers is a reliable way to get paid. Grey helps with that by giving you USD, GBP, and EUR accounts to receive payments directly from global clients and convert to naira when you feel like.
Open a Grey account today or download the app to join other ambitious freelancers.
*Some names have been changed for anonymity
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