How to Make Money on Upwork in Nigeria

Are you living in Nigeria and you are looking for ways to make money online in Nigeria? This article is for you. In this article, we will be going into detail about what Upwork is, why you should make money on the platform, requirements, how to sign up, how to receive payments, and most importantly different ways you can make money on Upwork as a Nigerian.

Lately, so many skilled and professional Nigerians have turned to upwork to be able to make money in dollars especially due to the current rate of inflation. Some people that I know do it as a side hustle while some that have been doing it for a while work full time.

You too can successfully work on upwork as a side hustle whether as a student, stay-at-home mum, or an individual working 9 – 5.

What is Upwork?

Upwork formerly known as Elance-oDesk is an American freelancing platform. Upwork connects businesses with independent professionals and agencies around the world. Upwork is the world’s largest talent marketplace for freelancers and agencies to find more clients locally and internationally.

In 2015, the Elance-odesk was rebranded as Upwork making the company’s full name now Upwork Global Inc. Upwork is just like Fiverr.

Why Should You Freelance on Upwork?

There are so many benefits or reasons to making money on Upwork in Nigeria but the major reason why many Nigerians are now moving to Upwork is because Upwork pays in dollars. We all know how powerful the dollar is to the naira today. As every day passes the dollar increases in value and the naira weakens.

For this reason, many Nigerians are looking for opportunities online where they can make money in dollars instead of naira. Another reason why you should consider making money on Upwork is that it is flexible. Since Upwork is an online freelancing website you can work at any time and anywhere you are as long as you have a computer with you.

Requirements to Work on UpWork

Before you can start making money on Upwork in Nigeria there are a few important things you need. These are:

1. Internet

Since Upwork is an online freelancing website. This can be considered the location of your business. You need internet and continuous data subscription to be able to access the website in Nigeria and work.

2. Phone or Laptop

A phone or laptop is also needed to work and make money on Upwork. The phone helps you to get clients. There are different phone brands that can do a good job if you cannot afford to buy a laptop. 

However, if you can buy a laptop you should go ahead to buy it as it is an asset when it comes to making money online in Nigeria. Read our article on how to make money with your laptop in Nigeria.

3. Skills

Except you are looking for ways you can make money on Upwork for free you need a skill to make money on Upwork. There are different online lucrative and high-demand skills you can learn now within a short time.

How to Open Upwork Account in Nigeria 

In order not to have your Upwork profile rejected as a beginner, these are the steps you need to follow to sign up on Upwork. 

1.  Go to Upwork.com then click the sign up button to proceed.

2. Input a valid email that has never been used on Upwork before.

3. Complete your profile setup by putting in your first name, last name, and password then select the option ‘work as a freelancer’.

4. Select your category

5. Select your expertise level

6. Select your education 

7. Select Hourly rate – choose wisely so that your Upwork account will not be rejected.

8. Click next your ‘title and overview’. 

9. Then submit your Upwork profile.

How to Receive Payments from Upwork in Nigeria

You cannot withdraw money for every service you render on Upwork. You can only withdraw at specific periods.  Once your earnings become available to you, you can withdraw your funds using Payoneer or pay directly to your domiciliary account in Nigeria.

How to Make Money on Upwork in Nigeria

 It is possible to make money on Upwork with no experience as long as you have a skill and you are willing to use your skill to work diligently. These are the best ways on how to make money on Upwork in Nigeria.

1. Website Design

Becoming a website designer is one of the best ways to make money on Upwork in Nigeria. Doing website design on Upwork will get you paid as a freelancer in Nigeria. This is because website designing is a high-demand skill online. With website designing you can succeed on Upwork as a Nigerian.

If you have no prior experience in designing websites you can learn the skill for free on YouTube or take a paid course from an online school within 4 weeks or more. After learning you can list the skill on your Upwork profile and start using the skill to work and make money.

Read our article on how to become a professional web developer in Nigeria for more guidance on this.

2. Graphic Designing

Graphic designing is another way on how to make money on Upwork in Nigeria. The skill is easy to learn and it is in high demand on Upwork which is why it is used to easily make money on Upwork. There are many places where you can learn graphic design.

You can learn it online for free or at a cost or you can learn the ICT skill physically at any computer training school to get certified. Graphic design can make you much money as website designing on Upwork because there are many jobs you can do on Upwork. You can edit pictures, Youtube thumbnails, and more.

Learning how to become a graphic designer does not really take long as long as you are committed. You can learn online using free material or simply learn from a computer training center not far from you. Read this article on how to become a graphic designer in Nigeria for a detailed guide.

3. SEO Expertise

SEO expertise is also known as Search Engine Optimization expertise. This is another way on how to make money on Upwork in Nigeria. If you do not understand what SEO expertise is all about, it is simply an ICT skill that allows you to be able to make websites or blogs appear on search engines, especially popular search engines like Google.

With SEO skill you will be able to help clients on Upwork to make their websites appear on Google’s first page and get paid for it. How much you are paid for this skill depends on your level of expertise and the satisfaction you are able to give customers.

4. Copywriting

If you really want to succeed on Upwork as a Nigerian, you need to become a copywriter. The skill is a lucrative digital skill. Asides from this, it is a high-demand skill because many individuals and clients that own companies are looking for copywriters that can write the perfect sales copy for them.

Copywriting is not a difficult skill to learn. You can learn the skill within 2 – 4 weeks and from that start getting clients of Upwork. If you are thinking of how or where you can learn copywriting, you can learn copywriting by watching copywriting videos on YouTube. You can also learn through some articles on copywriting.

Read how our article on how to make money as a copywriter in Nigeria for a detailed guide on this.

5. Content Creation

A content creator is different from a content writer. However, content writing is one of the branches of content creation. Content creation can be in any format (written, visuals, audio) and if you are a creative person this job will be perfect for you. You can make money easily as a content creator on Upwork in Nigeria.

However, in order not to go into this skill ignorantly you can read or watch more videos on it online.

6. Social Media Management

With your social media management skills, it is not hard to make money on Upwork in Nigeria. And this is because there are numerous clients on Upwork that are looking for freelancers that will manage their social media accounts.

You do not necessarily need prior social media knowledge to become a social media manager and this is because different clients have different needs when it comes to the management of their social media profiles. Read our article on how to become a social media manager in Nigeria for a detailed guide.

7. Content Writing

Are you a content writer? You are good at writing good compelling articles for blogs and websites, so this might be a good opportunity to easily make money on Upwork in Nigeria. With content writing being a high-demand skill on Upwork you can make money writing many articles for clients.

To start you can render your services cheap and as time goes by when the demand increases you can then increase your charges. Read our article on how to make money as a content writer in Nigeria if you are really serious about becoming a content writer.

8. E-Books Editing

There are many clients who want to get their ebooks published on Amazon Kindle and many other popular online ebook platforms. You can make money as an editor editing these ebooks on Upwork in Nigeria. You just need to learn how to edit ebooks first. To be able to do this successfully you need to first learn how ebooks are edited.

You can check online as there are many materials on this. Here is a guide on how to make money selling ebooks in Nigeria.

9. Facebook Ads

Facebook ads are not difficult to create however, Facebook target ads are difficult. If you know how to create target ads on Facebook you can make money on Upwork in Nigeria. How much you charge hourly for creating Facebook ads depends on so many factors but just make sure your charges are reasonable.

10. Digital Marketing

If you have digital marketing skills this is another easy way you can make money on Upwork in Nigeria. There are clients that are in need of your skill to grow their businesses. But how much you charge clients hourly will determine how well you will be patronized.

Here is our guide on how to start a digital marketing business in Nigeria if you are really passionate about this.

Conclusion

Working on Upwork as a freelancer in Nigeria is lucrative. Asides from the fact that you get to meet different clients through the platform creating exposure, you also make money in dollars instead of naira. These skills will help you to succeed on Upwork as a Nigerian. I sincerely hope this article helps you and goes a long way for you.

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