6 part-time jobs available in Nigeria

N1,000 – N15,000 per hour

What you need: Secretarial/Administrative skills, computer access/literacy, good telephone manner.

A virtual assistant is someone who works for a business, usually in an administrative capacity from home. The business is usually small, with no need for a full-time administrator and so hires a contractor (you) in order to save money on a full-time employee. Duties include typing, sending e-mails, drafting documents and business planning. The more specialised skills you have, the more you will be able to charge. If you have specialised accounting skills, such as a knowledge and understand of Sage or Quickbooks for example, you could easily charge N15,000 an hour by marketing yourself as a virtual assistant specialising in book keeping. You can find positions on dedicated VR sites such as Peopleperhour.com and Assistantmatch.com

Uber Lagos, the global taxi app reportedly has 150 drivers in its database with room for more. The trend of Uber Lagos drivers deviates from that of “traditional” taxi drivers as we have come to know. Most Uber drivers are “regular people with good jobs, who choose to drive Uber to let their cars pay for themselves”. When asked why, one IBM employee who only drives for Uber on Sundays responded, “Why not? I only drive on Sundays and I make enough to pay back my car loan”. Also, it can’t be a bad thing that Uber pays its drivers weekly, so you’re not kept waiting for your money.

What you need: A degree, references, patience, and an ability to tutor children and adults in specific areas.

After school tuition is a great option for parents who are worried about their childrens grades at school, as well as students looking for extra help in preparing for important examinations. It is also a great option for graduates who have some spare time, minimal resources and a desire to coach the next generation into succeeding. Initially, it may help to work through a tutoring company such as Fiverr.com or Professionalhometutors.com.ng to learn the ropes. Serving several areas in Lagos (Ikeja, VI, Lekki, Magodo and Surulere), they cut out the advertising in exchange for a small commission and establish a fit between tutors and students. Once established, you can continue build your portfolio through independent listing services such as Prepclass.com.ng and Tutor.ng

What you need: Web design skills, and access to a computer.

Web design is one of those areas of specialization where if you know what you’re doing, you will never be out of a job for long. Remuneration doesn’t just come in terms of cash, as Dana Winslow of DWUser.com points out: “Thanks to some clients of mine, I have received over the years a free copy of Adobe CS4, a discounted iMac (to help get me back up and going when my PC broke), an external hard drive, an iPad… and a free lunch”. While the competition is strong, established web designers are able to command more fees than beginners in the field, but the good news is that if you are open to a global audience, jobs are plentiful on global marketplaces such as Guru.com, Upwork.com, Peopleperhour.com, Outsource.com among many others.

 Health Supplements Distributor

What you need: An interest in health, a thirst for knowledge, and an ability to market verbally.

Health supplements companies in Nigeria have grown into multimillion dollar companies with little advertising through a heavy network marketing strategy. In the process, a record number of people have been able to turn their lives around by marketing health supplements to friends and family. More successful companies such as Swissgarde have been propelled by the observation that the high concentration of active ingredients in their products mean that customers notice a reduction and even an elimination in symptoms when on their products. Pharmacists, bankers, traders, students and doctors make up some of the audience present at Swissgarde’s weekly meetings in Ikeja, some of whom have been taken by the company on all expense paid holidays to exotic destinations around the world. When asked why Mrs Umerah closed her fabric shop to pursue the business full-time, she responded “It all came down to the money. I was making less than N100,000 monthly from the fabrics before profit, while Swissgarde paid me N800,000 a month. The fabrics had to go”.

What you need: Graphic design skills, Graphic design software such as Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop

“The point is you don’t need the latest and greatest to get started or to become successful. All you need is a computer, an internet connection, and yourself. With that you take it one step at a time” observes Brent Galloway, a freelance designer who left his job in 2011 to become a graphic designer full-time. You can easily set up a free portfolio on Behance or Carbonmade, and a Twitter account and Facebook page is free to set up.  However, freelancing does not guarantee a steady income, and I hope you’re already aware of this”. On a positive note, income sources are free and plentiful, thanks to an increasingly connected global marketplace. You can build your portfolio by taking on fast, easy jobs on sites like Fiverr.com and once established, move on to specialised graphic design services such as Design Crowd,99designs.comwhich pay up to N60,000 per design project.

Whatever part-time job you decide to take, just be sure to put it in a savings account, or invest it in a rewarding venture.