3 Nigerian Freelancers Share their Pros & Cons of Freelancing

Freelancing has become quite popular in Nigeria for multiple reasons. A few years after Fiverr launched, young Nigerians finishing their university education who needed extra sources of income started to dabble into freelancing. Following the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the global workforce, more and more people have embraced freelancing as a more reliable path to financial freedom.

Also, with more of Nigeria’s Gen-Zs leaving traditional 9-5 work in favour of the gig economy and the promise of freedom that comes with freelancing, the market has grown even more in Nigeria. However, with the pros there are cons. Many Nigerian freelancers still struggle with considerably minor challenges like internet connectivity, power supply, global payment infrastructure and overall feeling of security among other things that are not a problem for their counterparts in the United States, for example.

I caught up with three acquaintances who have been freelancing for a while now to learn more about their overall experiences and find out whether it has been worth it. Read their thoughts below.

“Freelancing has helped me build a business” — Chidi*

In 2020, Chidi was laid off from his job as a Customer Support rep because the company he was working for could no longer support his role and needed to trim fat in order for the business to survive. Chidi was jobless for a few months before a friend reached out with an offer. Chidi would help the friend research and write some articles for a web publication in exchange for a small fee of $20. Chidi accepted and worked tirelessly to deliver his best. The “client” was pleased with the job and offered many others after that. The rest is history.

“In restrospect, that offer opened my eyes to the possibilities. At the time, it wasn’t a lot of money, but it went a long way to sort my bills. By the time I had done this with that first person five more times, I started to realise the opportunity and then I started to research more on setting up a proper freelancing outfit for myself”.

From freelancing alone for a few clients, Chidi soon set up a proper business by getting clients on Fiverr and Freelancer and delivering multiple projects at the same time by working with other budding freelancers like himself to create content, design and websites for clients in the US and United Kingdom. Overtime, Chidi’s freelancing business has grossed well over $20k but it has not come without cost.

“In the beginning, the primary challenge was getting clients on Fiverr and Freelancer. Building trust took some time, then accepting payment was tasking. I initially experimented with a lot of around-the-way methods before eventually finding workable solutions and even then these solutions often failed after a while. Then there was the issue of dealing with those who were working with me at the time. Many of them would miss deadlines as a result of power outages, internet issues and the likes and these things tend to affect the trust we want to build with our client base.”

“These days, things are easier on the payment front. The Blockchain has provided many opportunities and I have been able to receive payment in USDT which I was then able to withdraw through my Cenoa Wallet. Five years ago, the story was quite different.” Chidi added.

“I enjoy the freedom, but it’s hard explaining to people what I do” — Rosa*

Rosa started freelancing two years ago because she got tired of the strain her regular job had on her mental health. She says “I got tired of the going to the office every day and doing the same mundane tasks and getting paid peanuts at the end of the month, so I started reaching out to brands to let me create designs for them on a contract basis”.

“I was skeptical about whether or not it would work, I didn’t think that the market for the service I was offering was large enough, and I was pleasantly surprised at how much I was able to make within a few months. By the time I had made enough, I was able to quite and focus full time on this. I have since then been able to make more money for myself and improve my standard of living.”

However, it has not been all rosy for Rosa.  As a young woman living in Nigeria, she has been met many times with accusatory questions from people who cannot understand how she makes all that money when she doesn’t work a conventional job.

“I have had people, including family members, imply that I was doing something shady, maybe sex work or that I had a sponsor, which is their way of suggesting that I have a sugar daddy. It is hard to explain these things sometimes, so when they ask me I just say I am a consultant for different organisations. That is easier for them to grasp than saying I am a freelancer.”

Explaining her job isn’t the hardest thing for Rosa. For some time, saving was.

“As an individual with what could be considered as an inconsistent source of income, it was hard for me to get my head around saving and investing. A lot of the detail is shrouded in jargons and it was difficult for me for a while before I eventually decided to stick with Cenoa since I can hedge my income against inflation and devaluation.”

“I now have more control over my time” — Mike*

Mike started freelancing because he needed more income and eventually, his freelancing work started to pay off more than his job ever did so he started to prioritise time more. After freelancing for two years, he was finally able to quit his regular job and focus full-time on gigs.

“First, the main focus for me was to earn more money. After two years, I was making way more money than I expected, so I set a new goal to make more time for myself. This led me to the crossroad of whether I should focus on my regular job or on freelancing as a career. It was difficult at first, but I figured it out and chose freelancing.”

According to him, the primary reason for his dilemma was the fact that freelancing is not a guaranteed source of income as he often had to go multiple weeks without a gig. He realised that if he left his regular paying job and then ran out of money, he would be stuck if he couldn’t get gigs.

“I then started thinking about saving as an alternative for navigating this dilemma. First, I needed a savings option that will protect me from inflation, provide me with reasonable returns and make my money readily available to me in the time of emergency. Cenoa’s was ultimately the perfect solution for me and I was able to save up a reasonable amount of money before eventually quitting my regular job.”

Final Words

Technology has empowered more young people to build wealth by providing services even across borders. As this technology continues to grow, we are sure to see the concept of a career evolve more and more.

*Names have been changed for anonymity.