The value of a skill in creating a reliable source of income cannot be overemphasized. You may be familiar with the biblical phrase:
“Seest thou a man diligent in his business? He shall stand before kings; He shall not stand before mean men” (Proverbs 22:29).
You will agree with me that the more skillful you become, the more wealth and affluence you attract to yourself.
For you to be ‘diligent in your business’ requires extra wisdom that translates your energy into profit. The wisdom to turn energy to profit needs to be learnt and cultivated through a skill. Your skill will turn your raw energy and thinking into a profitable art. It will direct you away from wasted effort. Indeed skills are what makes the money – the driving force behind your hard work. Here we will discuss top 10 money making skills you can learn in today’s Nigeria without regret.
Money Making Skills in Nigeria: What is a Skill?
Oxford dictionary has a simple definition for skill:
‘The ability to do something well’.
Skill (or expertise) can also mean a kind of job which requires special training and use of knowledge. Skills may be generally classified into HARD SKILLS and SOFT SKILLS. A balanced combination of both types of skills can go a long way to make anyone successful in life. In fact, focusing on hard skills alone never works (though this was the common approach to learning for a long time).
Hard skills are the common physical, practical skills we acquire in our schools and training centers everywhere. Vocational skills such as fashion design and carpentry; math skills, drawing, or electronic work are examples of hard skills.
A soft skill however, is more of a learned mental skill than a physical one. Soft skills have more to do with training your emotional and mental capacities to handle people around you. They include teamwork, communication, oratory, human relations, and conflict resolution.
So what are the top money-making skills in Nigeria as of today? And why are they lucrative? We will examine just 10 of them.
Vocational Skills
It is hardly news anymore that an academic certificate does not guarantee a well-paying job in modern Nigeria. Graduates are now actively encouraged to learn a trade or vocation as a side hustle. It takes investing a few months or years of training and/or apprenticeship to master a skilled trade.
And there is a broad assortment of such vocational skills; you can even combine one with office work. We have such examples as tailoring, hair styling, carpentry, interior decoration, event management, painting, shoe making, catering, snacks and food/drink business, and so on.
If you are diligent enough, your side hustle may likely overtake your academic training to provide you a decent income. Vocational skills have made millionaires out of unemployed graduates.
Sales & Marketing Skills
The goal of every entrepreneur and business is to acquire customers, and sell their products and services. To do so would require hiring persons with strong convincing skills as marketers. Marketers have gone way beyond mere word of mouth to reach out to potential customers, through the use of technology. Now we have digital and social media marketers who have become word and content geniuses.
They create appealing marketing materials (video, pictures, audio, adverts, articles, and blogs). Thereafter, they share them via social media, video sharing sites, websites, search engines, and email to attract even more customers. There are even analytical tools to track the success or otherwise of their marketing campaigns on the internet.
Combining all these with convincing sales expertise makes marketing a well-paid job for those with the grit. A successful marketer must know how to handle several NO responses and remain focused. Perseverance is key.
Computer/ICT and Technology Skills
The ability to use the computer and related technology tools have become a global necessity in well over two decades now. Most workplaces and industries now adopt computer-powered tools and technology to automate their work and bring out the best results. And all these in an ever-evolving world of new technologies, where workers ready to master them are critically needed.
Thus, you are well positioned if you acquire a computer or ICT skill. Because ICT professionals are now in hot demand in so many organizations. To the extent that remote and hybrid work arrangements are now adopted to recruit even more skilled workers.
There is a huge diversity of ICT skills to choose from. Web development, Office tools, programming, telecom and networking, graphics design, video editing, technical writing, data analysis, cybersecurity, technical support. The list goes on and on. And they are well compensated for it.
Administrative and Bookkeeping Skills
Office administrator/assistant jobs are fairly common. They involve maintaining an office, and being the first point of contact for external clients. An office administrator or assistant is the ‘face’ of the company, and keeps the workplace in order. He/she is in charge of the office equipment, communications, the inventory, basic accounting/bookkeeping, office records, running errands, and customer service. Virtually every corporate organization needs one.
This is one job you can start with little or no experience. But any determined person could work his or her way up the corporate ladder to becoming a top earner.
Legal Skills
What’s an established company without a lawyer? A government-registered organization is bound to face issues of compliance with the law, or conflicts that require lawyers to intervene, along the way. Otherwise that business might fail due to external (or internal) attacks and pressure without legal backing. Even individuals with high net worth may need the service of a lawyer to protect their assets.
Lawyers are interpreters and custodians of the law. They are there to help business owners and individuals avoid possible pitfalls that could pitch them against formidable foes (or even the government). They assist in drafting official agreements, copyright cases, conflict resolution, tax returns, issuing affidavits, and a host of other critical legal needs.
Comedy & Entertainment
How about making people laugh for money? Oh yes. The entertainment industry is now a magnet of wealth, if you know how to make people happy. Musicians, actors and actresses, dancers, comedians, and social media skit makers are making huge money from entertaining people. In a short while, you can gain a lot of fans (both online and offline) for making hilarious or exciting comedy, performances, and/or music.
Entertainers of all forms often end up becoming paid social media influencers, and paid brand ambassadors for companies. As a brand ambassador, you get huge rewards for becoming the ‘face’ of other businesses or brands. You also earn from adverts hosted inside your online content.
Healthcare Skills
Workers in the healthcare sector have always been in high demand; even more so following the COVID-19 pandemic. Namely nurses, midwives, community health workers, doctors, surgeons, pharmacists, laboratory technicians, radiologists, mental health counselors, and caregivers/hospice workers.
These social service workers are there to help people maintain their health (where family and friends are incapable of assisting). Their indispensable work makes them to be among the well-paid group of workers in Nigeria.
Project Management
When carrying out big or sensitive projects, it is important to have a project supervisor or manager at hand. A project manager effectively organizes the available resources and team/subordinates to complete the project, within the stipulated time and budget. He/she creates meaningful work schedules, directs the entire process, and motivates the team to achieve the best output.
A dedicated project manager ensures the project never fails – it must be completed in the best way possible. Project managers and supervisors are needed in building construction, ICT, manufacturing, healthcare, government and many other work environments that run time-bound projects. And they are certainly well paid for it.
Content Writing & Copywriting
If you are skillful in writing content that attracts and keeps the reader engaged – then you will succeed as a content writer. A content writer uses words in an expert, interesting way to communicate with people. Some content writers are equally good at storytelling. A storyteller can spin a real-life story (or improvise one) in order to pass a salient idea across to the reader.
Content writing can be used for a variety of purposes which include digital marketing, education, or entertainment. But it takes continuous writing, self-criticism, and taking constructive feedback from others to become an expert writer.
Going a step further – can you put the convincing power and skill of a salesman into writing? Then you are good at copywriting. Copywriting is simply directing your writing skills into getting customers and keeping them. It may take time to perfect this skill because it does not come easy. It may be better to work with a mentor as well.
In any case, talented content writers and copywriters are guaranteed to earn very decent pay for their services over time.
Communications & Human Relations
If you are skilled in the art of human relationships – you are an asset. You know how to communicate well with others (both co-workers and external clients), build networks, manage disputes, and turn foes into friends. You can mentor others, and co-work with even those who do not agree with you. These are rare and coveted talents only a few people have. Every organization needs such versatile communicators, who are good in both written and verbal communication.
Public relations officers, human resource managers, and communication specialists fall into this category; and are well paid as well.
