10 Best Ways to Earn Money as a Teacher in Nigeria (2024)

After reading this article, you will be able to earn additional income while working as a teacher by engaging in a variety of side businesses. One of the best jobs in the world that merits a reasonable salary is teaching, but in Nigeria, that is not the case.

From the way our government treats the profession to the way private schools treat Nigerian teachers, it has been reduced to nothing and is now a second-class job. I am not only speaking from the author’s perspective; I am speaking as an insider of the Nigerian educational system, so I am quite aware of this.

Since I have been a teacher both directly and indirectly for the past seven years, I have encountered a lot of nasty things that I hope no one who wants to become a teacher ever encounters. Even parents, who we feel ought to trust us with their children’s education and character development, drag Nigerian teachers the most.

I have witnessed parents slapping teachers for raising their children properly, and I have also witnessed school administrators defame teachers out of fear of losing their supposedly wealthy patrons. If you are a teacher in Nigeria, especially if you work in a private school, you have probably already learned this.

Nobody actually cares about you, not even your parent or your boss (the owner of the school). For instance, your school might make about ₦‎250,000 from tuition fees for each student in your class but only pays you ₦‎50,000 each month. you still get 25% of the revenue generated each student.

However, let’s examine who is at fault in this situation. Is it the Nigerian government’s inability to stabilise the economy, private school owners’ self-centeredness in paying you well, or your continued reliance on this meagre salary to support you and meet your requirements that makes your N50,000 worth while?

Who is really to blame? Only you know the solution to this, but if you keep thinking about it, you can fall into a trap and put off leaving the shackles of poverty. To find out why I wasn’t producing enough money, I used to think the same way until I realised it was just a complete waste of time.

I gave up on it and began searching for a solution, and it eventually paid off. Not that I’m a millionaire today, but at least I don’t really rely on the poor salary my school gives me to take care of my debts and other obligations. As a teacher in Nigeria, I was able to do this by developing several side businesses, and that’s what I’m about to share with you today – ways that you can earn extra-income as a teacher in Nigeria.

Please note that the majority of these strategies to make money will cost you money to start, but some of them won’t. Make sure you choose the ones that are comfortable for you and your wallet. Also, keep in mind that none of the strategies I’m about to outline for you to earn money as a teacher in Nigeria are Get-Rich-Quick schemes. You can work these side jobs in addition to teaching job to increase your income.

The following article should be read if you feel that’s what I did and what you want to learn from me. Thus, let’s get started straight now.

TOP 10 BEST WAYS TO EARN MONEY AS A TEACHER IN NIGERIA

Here are some ideas for making more money as a teacher in Nigeria.

START A SCHOOL LESSON

One of the simplest side businesses you can start as a teacher in Nigeria is this one. Have you ever used school classes or tutoring at the institution where you are currently employed? For those of us who have never experienced a school lesson. School lessons, which are paid for apart from your usual wage by parents, are one-on-one lessons you provide to a student or group of students who are struggling in specific subjects.

Although it varies per school, most schools typically collect between 30% and 50%. But I can guarantee you that even after this money has been taken out, when it is added to your monthly salary, it will still go a long way. Therefore, if your school, for instance, charges ₦‎20,000 a month for tuition and you are permitted to enrol 5 students for additional sessions, your take-home pay after the school deducts its own cut will be ₦‎50,000 (if the school deducts 50% per child).

Aside from the standard 9–2 teaching shift, school lessons are one option for teachers in Nigeria to earn money. Start doing this right away, and when parents notice improvements in their children, they’ll be willing to pay you directly to show their appreciation for your work. This essentially means that you take the entire ₦‎20,000 home for each student you teach.

START HOME TUTORING

I adore home tutoring because of the freedom it offers and the excellent compensation. On this island (Lekki), you can make between 30 and 60k per child each month, depending on how good you are and how well you can market yourself. Although, as some parents could prefer a one-hour home tutoring session, this also depends on the needs of the parent.

While some parents want two hours, others want you to cover all the subjects with their kids. However, being able to negotiate well may be the most crucial factor. As time passes, you will see that if you do this and instruct the child as if your life relies on it, the child’s parents may be willing to increase your pay or even recommend you as a competent teacher to their friends so you can instruct their children as well.

Continue to learn and get better, and pick up information on uncommon subjects so you can excel as a teacher of one of these hard-to-find courses. Music is an illustration of this rare subject. You don’t come across teachers that are able to teach music in addition to the standard topics every day. I started learning music for fun many years ago. I had no idea it might someday provide income, but it has.

Since I began teaching him, the student I tutor now appreciates my tutoring in other topics as well as in music. We have days for music, days for maths, days for English, and at the end of the month, I grin to the bank. Even though this money may not appear significant to you, it is after I add it to all the other money I receive at the end of the month.

Home tutoring which is one of the fastest ways to earn more money as a teacher often occurs two to three times per week, so you can choose to teach roughly three families per week or per month. Compared to educating one student, this is far more lucrative.

START ONLINE TUTORING

This is yet another original approach that teachers in Nigeria might increase their income. Nigerians are now taking teaching to the next level by teaching online thanks to the country’s significant advancements in education and decent data plans.

You can start teaching right away from the comfort of your home by registering on any of the teaching platforms, whether they are local or global, just as it is done in other advanced nations. Depending on the platforms you register with, your salary may be paid in either dollars or naira.

You may be sure that any subject you enjoy teaching will be available to you because these tutoring platforms or websites may contain practically anything you could ever require. Additionally, not every subject on these educational websites calls for a degree credential. Some people just ask how knowledgeable you are about the issues.

The following are just a few examples of subjects you can teach without any formal training: music, French, Yoruba, public speaking, C.R.K., and many more. If you’re interested in using this method to earn money as a teacher in Nigeria, go ahead and sign up. I use prepclass.com and personally.ng

LAUNCH A BLOG

For teachers in Nigeria, starting a blog and earning money is another side hustle. Sincerely, I had no idea this blog would develop into something of such magnitude when I first started it. I only recently began it out of a desire to write and motivate people, especially men, but the plot has since shifted.

WordPress has replaced.blogspot.com.com after moving to.com. I intend to monetize the blog in the upcoming months and add it as a new source of revenue. If you enjoy writing and are a teacher in Nigeria, you may also use this skill to write about issues that Nigerians encounter on a daily basis and offer solutions.

One can start monetizing their blog and their own expenses if they are able to post about 10 very popular topics and are receiving a ton of Google traffic. And if your site ever becomes as successful as Ogbongeblog.com or Wealthresult.com, you can finally quit your day job as a classroom teacher and focus on your blog (working from home).

In Nigeria, you can build a blog for nothing or for cash. Depending on which option you wish to select. Even though I continue to praise God for the steady progress, I had some obstacles because I first chose the free road. However, if I were to do it all over again, I would choose to spend money. Switch to WordPress from Blogger. acquiring a domain and hosting instead of using the free.blogspot.com domain.

The adage “What is worth doing is worth doing well” is something that a mentor of mine often uses. Spend your money on it if you genuinely intend to do this and profit from it later. You can start a lifestyle blog in Nigeria. To learn more about the best kind of blog to start, check out our list of the top 10 profitable blogging niches in Nigeria.

CREATE A YOUTUBE CHANNEL

The Nigerian YouTube market is now booming, so this is the ideal time for you to become involved, particularly if you’re a teacher. I’ve been checking YouTube daily for nearly a year now, and I must say that just 10 of the channels that discuss intriguing subjects are from Nigeria. From Mr. Fish who discusses how to start a catfish business in Nigeria to Kester Amos who discusses how to start a snail business in Nigeria, among others.

While some people already monetize their channels, others do not, I can promise you that those that do so are already making a respectable amount of money. Do you have a topic that interests you that you think the Nigerian audience would enjoy watching and gaining knowledge from? Using your phone, you can launch your very own YouTube channel. If you have an Android phone with a good camera, the answer is indeed your phone.

Before posting the videos to YouTube, you can decide whether to alter them or not. Your decision is entirely your own. I shall soon write an article on how to start a successful YouTube channel in Nigeria after I have created my own.

CREATE BOOKS (EBOOKS OR PRINT)

Developing a writing career is another option to raise your income as a teacher in Nigeria. You can write books about your interests, but make sure they are topics that Nigerians actually want to read about. To ensure that you have a ton of sales at the end of the day, do this. Selling the book to your students and their parents is an easy way to market it after you’ve finished writing it.

For instance, if publishing a book costs ₦‎300, selling it for ₦‎500 would result in a ₦‎200 profit. Imagine earning a whopping ₦‎600,000 (only for selling books) if you are able to sell 3000 copies of this book to readers. Ebooks business in Nigeria is very profitable. There are many guides online on how to start one.

START BOOKSTORE BUSINESS

This is an additional way for teachers in Nigeria to earn money. You could also start a bookstore. You have the advantage of getting people to your store without stress because you are a teacher.

You can start making money as soon as you introduce your bookshop to the school where you teach and persuade them to buy all the books the students would need from you. Giving the school’s parents a sizable discount is another way to get them to buy from you.

When you’re done, you can also go to the local schools and persuade them to buy from you so that you can eventually become the largest bookseller in your city. If you’re willing to put some money into this company as a teacher, I can assure you that it will transform your life forever.

Once you’ve been able to do this and to a certain extent build it, you can even stop teaching.

BECOME AN ONLINE MENTOR

Since kids will always need someone to look up to besides their parents, mentoring is another option for teachers to earn money in Nigeria. Although it is still uncommon in Nigeria, you can be one of the educators that spread the word about this.

All you need to do to get started is find kids in your neighbourhood who are struggling academically and work with them to get better. As time passes and they see your positive impact on their kids’ lives, they may decide to pay you to mentor their kids.

START A TRANSPORT BUSINESS

This is for educators who drive cars. You can start a transport company in Nigeria in addition to your teaching career if you have a car that you use to get to work on weekdays and to drive your family to church on Sundays.

When you leave for work and when you return, all you need to do is transfer people. On any day that you are not teaching, you can also run a transport company. Public holidays and holiday seasons are excellent times to monetize your car.

In addition to doing ordinary transport services with your vehicle, you can also conduct logistics operations by moving goods for consumers and companies. As I mentioned before, this point is intended for teachers who have cars, but if you don’t and can afford one, you can purchase one so that you can operate these two enterprises as well.

START A POULTRY BUSINESS

Our collective belief that the chicken industry caters to the unemployed and the impoverished has finally persuaded so many of us that it is nasty work. Only a few of those who are into it are even brave enough to declare as much.

However, if not disregarded, Nigeria’s poultry industry can also be a significant source of revenue for any teacher willing to get involved. Many of my teachers back then, when I was in high school, worked in the farming or poultry industries.

In fact, I specifically recall that period because my mathematics instructor used to take us to his farm to assist him with harvesting. And he sells almost 90% of the crops he has harvested to other professors. My Agric teacher was another teacher I had back then who was involved in the poultry industry.

Even customers from outside the school came to buy from him since he raised hens and turkeys for sale. I’m not sure of his current location, but he would undoubtedly have expanded the poultry industry to a significant size by now.

Today, my poultry business has been doing well despite a few losses since I launched it around nine months ago. I buy and sell turkeys and local and grill chicken. I purchase them as chicks and poults, raise them, and then sell them.

This is yet another method that I supplement my income as a teacher in Nigeria. You can also start and create a successful chicken farm in Nigeria too.

CONCLUSION

Being a teacher in Nigeria is not easy (speaking from personal experience), but that is no reason to give up. The first step to increasing your income as a teacher and building wealth is genuinely believing that this won’t limit you. The second step is spotting chances outside of the school’s walls and taking advantage of them.

Use your skills in addition to your money if necessary, and you will ultimately reap whatever you sow. If you need any additional guidance on any of the businesses I’ve listed, please let me know.