Make money being a student: the best ideas

Author: Rachael Odusanya

If you are a student in Nigeria and you desperately want to start making your own money but think it is completely hopeless for a student to find a lucrative job, you are wrong. In case you are asking yourself “What can I do to make money in Nigeria?”, you should know there are a lot of amazing opportunities for students. Here is a list of business ideas in Nigeria for you.

Besides, small business ideas for students are not full-time jobs, you will have to work only a few hours per day or weekends. So, you will still have enough time for studying and meeting up with your friends.

Reasons to find a job while you are a student:

This is a good preparation for the life that comes after school.

Your student job will bring you a lot of vital experience for the future.

 It will make easier for you to get some important skills and understanding of the business. 

This experience will come in handy when you start looking for a full-time job with a basic knowledge of how it works.

Most importantly, you will have a chance to improve your personal skills. 

You will learn to become more confident when you succeed, and you will also learn an important lesson from every failure.

1. Tutoring

Perhaps you like spending time with other people and passing the knowledge to them. In this situation, the tutor job will fit for you. In case you start your own private business in tutoring, you can hold your lessons in the evening or during weekends, and you will have enough time left for school and personal activities. To become a tutor, you can start offering services either online or to people you know. Choose a subject that you are really good at.

2. Freelance writing

Are you a skilled writer? Do you enjoy writing articles and blog posts? You can become a freelance writer and register on the website for freelancers to start getting orders from various websites. This job is beneficial because you can easily work from home and choose the suitable time, in contrary to the set office hours that would be required of you at the full-time work. There are plenty of the websites and blogs that are in constant search of writers, so do not miss your chance if you feel like your writing skills are high and you could help them in some way!

3. Graphic design

Graphic design plays a really important role in the creation of any website, along with the logos, banners and other things that present the site to its potential visitors. Students in Nigeria can become graphic designers too – everyone starts small. You can also apply for a job where you will design various business cards and brochures. All that it takes is some graphics skills and a passion for designing.

4.Editing business

Many students who attend higher educational institutions have different kinds of assignments and projects. The personal computer is just enough for starting a typing business, through which you will be able to help them to type all their assignments and transform them into a digital document. If you possess good typing skills, you can definitely help students out by typing their home works.

5. Dropshipping

If you are unaware what is dropshipping, it is a special method of retail fulfillment, which means that the products that are sold in stocks are not kept in the store. When the store wants to sell the product, they purchase it from the third-party and ship to the customers. Nowadays, it is a profitable business, and you will only need your own computer with internet access and the basic understanding of the websites like Aliexpress and Amazon. You will also have to set up your own store on Facebook, and have some experience in running the online shop and attracting traffic to it. This job is not as difficult as it seems – once you get hold of it, you will be really surprised with your finances going up.

6.Recharge card business

These days, the Nigerians are really obsessed with the recharge card businesses, because it appears to be lucrative, and it also does not require a lot of efforts. People usually start with printing out the cards, or purchasing the units of cards in bulks and then selling them at the higher price.

7. Selling the past question papers

This business can become very profitable among students who need the answers from the previous exams and the study papers that they have no time to compile on their own. If you have ever done huge papers of material for your studies that contain all the necessary information, you can try selling them for a favorable price to the students who are in a grade below you.

8. Selling used clothes

Maybe you have some clothes that were already worn, but they are still in a good state? Perhaps you have that one dress or this pair of shoes that you have bought, worn once, and felt uncomfortable in it? Instead of just keeping these clothes without purpose in your wardrobe, you could sell them to the other people who would probably be happy to buy clothes for a good price instead of going to the expensive stores.

9. Hairdresser business

If you always had a passion for hair styling, you can invest in professional hairdresser course, and then start working at the hair salon. It does not have to be a full-time job – you can work there as a student and successfully earn money. You can promote yourself on social media, such as Facebook and Instagram, which will generate you more clients. Post the best examples of your work, and you are guaranteed to gain people’s interest in your skills.

10. Manicure and pedicure

This business is extremely relevant these days because so many women and girls want to have perfect nails with various ornaments. Men also take care of their nails and attend the manicure/pedicure masters. You can do it at home, and agree on the most suitable time for you both together with the clients. For starting this business, you will not need a lot – the only things that are required are special nail equipment, which is known to cost N3,000 average, and of course the promoting skills on social media.

Since there is a lot of competition nowadays among the manicure/pedicure masters, you have to make your works stand out and attract the potential clients.


11. Blogging

Yeah, everyone wants to be a blogger nowadays, but not everyone can actually be a good blogger. If you have a topic that interests you and that you are fluent in, you just need a little confidence – chances are that your blog can gain popularity in no time if your posts are memorable and unique. It is completely free to start a blog on a platform Wordpress or Blogspot, and you will also have to learn some pitfalls of blogging business before starting to earn money.

12. Become a Jumia agent

The most popular shopping platform in Africa, Jumia.com, is always in need of agents, who can work either full-time or part-time. Their responsibility is helping people order and purchase whatever they need. Your work will be letting people know that you are a Jumia agent, and promoting their offers on social media. It does not require any starting capital, and if you are a student, it will not take much time from you. If you go on Jumia.com website, you can learn more about the Jumia agent job there and decide whether it would be right for you.

13. Catering business

If you are in need of money, and would not mind working in the catering service for some extra cash, you can join a team that provides the cooking for some big occasions and events. It can be a really lucrative job, but you have to be aware that without passion it will not take you anywhere, even if you will earn good money. So, this job would be perfect for you if you actually love and enjoy cooking, and are good at it. You should also apply for it if you are able to deal with stress well.

14. Cleaning service

This would be the right job for you if you are an active and neat person who pays a lot of attention to the small details. Before the move into the new house, some people hire the cleaning service for tidying their place up. If you feel like you could manage this, you can start a Facebook page and promote your services. This can be done in your spare time, and it will not threaten your grades. You can also dive into this business without any money because when people hire you for this job, they will give you a deposit fee and you use these funds to buy the materials that you need for performing your work.

15. Photography

All you need for becoming a photographer is a good professional camera and a great eye when it comes to capturing the most interesting moments. No matter if you have had experience before or not, you can start anytime and eventually earn a profit.

If your photos are really good, then you have a large chance to be noticed by potential clients who would offer money for your services. This is how the beginning photographers become famous and influential. You can also post your photos on stock websites to make money off them. Photographer’s job is a great opportunity for you to combine earning some money and doing what you love and enjoy.

16. Real estate agency

This job is always relevant because people are constantly searching for the new houses to live in. All that is required of you is helping people to search for a suitable living for them, according to their demands. You need to be reliable and have access to the genuine information to become successful in this business. Except that, you need a business card, which you can purchase for about N4,000 or even less. If you have some relatives or friends who thrive in this business, you can ask them about all the features and pitfalls. In general, you must be confident and possess high speaking skills.

17. Personal sports trainer

This job would be nice for those students who are athletic and always keep up their physical shape. So many people nowadays are struggling to lose weight and want to be physically fit. You can start a personal training service to help them with it. If you are a student, you can occupy the local campus facility for your training sessions.

18. Cake making and pastries

Even if it does not look so, thousands of people need cakes for various events every day. In case you always enjoyed baking cakes and pastries, you can try yourself on an entirely new level by starting accepting the offers and making money in this business. Once you develop your baking skills and start producing really beautiful and delicious cakes, the clients and money will be guaranteed to you. You can advertise your business on social media by posting photos of your pastry, but if you are a student, you have a great advantage – you can share a word among the fellow students about your business, and perhaps someone will want a cake from you one day.

19. Kerosene retail

More and more students use kerosene, and the main reasons for such choice are the prices for cooking gas and the insufficient electricity supply. This is why kerosene retail can be a really profitable business these days. The dealers who invest in kerosene business most often receive the one hundred percent return on their primary investments. To start this business, you can quickly set up yourself to be a retailer and begin providing services to the fellow students.

20. Event planning

Every student who has great organizational skills, flexibility and active personality can try event planner. It is a simple way for the students to make money and test their confidence. Usually, the majority of events fall on weekdays.

21. Tailoring

Perhaps you are talented at sewing and often hear compliments about your self-made clothes, but you were never confident enough to start your own business because you thought it is difficult. Well, we can reassure you that it is really easy and does not require much effort. Even if you are a school student, you can quickly earn a lot of money by tailoring clothes.

22. Bead making

Creating wonders out of beads is another lucrative business that could be possible to execute if you are a student. In case you make great jewelry out of beads, you can try improving your skills – quite soon, you will be able to earn money from accepting orders and commissions.

23. Pencil drawing

While some school and college students are out there partying, others stay at home sketching, and they have no idea about their privilege. If you are good at pencil drawing, you can post the examples of your works online or place the samples at school. Perhaps, quite soon someone will like your style and get in touch with you, offering to work together with them. The only thing you need is developing a wise marketing plan and having your own distinctive drawing style.

24. Honey selling

This kind of business is not so common among the students. But this can be a benefit rather than a drawback because you will be a unique businessperson with barely any competition. To start selling honey, you will only need to find a good supplier of this product. You can search for someone who keeps bees. The investment that you will need to make is purchasing the containers for storing honey. Being a student, you can easily promote your honey business among them. This work is fun, and it will soon pay off if you dedicate your free time to it.


25. Selling artwork

Always had high artistic skills and dreamed of selling your art to the public? Now you can do it since you have a great benefit of being a student and establishing a lot of connections. Nowadays, artists can sell their existing art and accept commissions from people for their characters, ideas, designs or settings, which makes them earn good money. You can work either in a traditional or digital way, depending on your preference. You should just think how much time (and materials if you are a traditional artist) it takes for you to draw the full artwork, and set your prices. This is a perfect job for those who have high artistic skills and are confident that they can fulfill their commissions in the shortest amount of time. When you have enough examples of your paintings, you can organize exhibitions at your school or university to advertise yourself to people and make them want to buy or request art from you.

26. Stand-up comedy

In the schools and universities, there are a lot of talented stand-up comedians, who have no idea that they could make money off their abilities. If you have got a great sense of humor, a distinct voice and endless charisma, maybe you should consider this job. You should just put a lot of thought into your program and do a few rehearsals to see people’s general reaction and mood. Organizing your shows can be done within a campus or off it. If this is what you really want and people love your shows, you can become rich in no time.

27. Hair production retail

So many students in Nigeria nowadays try themselves in hair production retail. Lots of people, especially young ladies who have long and gorgeous hair, need the beauty products that would help them keep up the beauty and health of their locks. If you are a university student considering the start-up project, you can pay your attention to this business, mainly because a lot of your co-students could be potentially interested in purchasing your product.

28. Skin naturals production

What are skin naturals? This is the name for skin products which are made out of natural ingredients, such as aloe vera, olive oil, coconut oil, shea butter and others. So many young people who are skin product enthusiasts have turned to a natural product because it makes their skin smooth and beautiful. Since the natural skin products are currently in high demand, you can try this business. You might want to get trained on how to produce these products, and then you will be ready to start marketing them for money.

29. Purchasing and selling items on e-Bay

Another profitable business would be the purchase and selling of various products on e-Bay. On this internet store, you can buy and sell basically everything that has the capacity to be sold or bought. Maybe you have some things at home that you never use, and they are just gathering dust, but you are convinced that someone else might find them useful. This is your chance – just give an advertisement on e-Bay, and perhaps you will attract the customers who are interested.

30. Cryptocurrency business

This business is quite risky and requires a lot of knowledge, so you will have to sacrifice a lot of time to learning how cryptocurrency business works. The market offers a lot of cryptocurrencies nowadays, and the most popular of them is Bitcoin. If you invest in cryptocurrency, it can pay off later. Of course, you will need at least a minimal starting capital, and the understanding of the business.

(Legit.ng)


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