There’s probably never been a better time to be a creative in Nigeria. It used to be said that passion does not pay, but not anymore. Today, savvy creatives are in demand across industries. 

To find out just how lucrative creating as a Nigerian can be, we spoke to a few people who told us how much they make writing, shooting photos, copyediting and designing.

“Right now I have two full-time jobs that bring in about 300k” — Amaka, Editor

I’m an editor. I started copyediting officially in 2017. I chose this career because I didn’t know what to do with my Philosophy degree after NYSC. Back then, a friend needed a volunteer editor and it was something I had some interest in. For that gig, which was fully remote, I was getting a stipend of ₦10k for data. I learned a lot on the job. 

Now, I like copyediting more than I hate it. I got a job that paid me ₦35k. But I also got side gigs, where I charged ₦400 per page. Right now, I charge ₦1,400 per page for copyediting and proofreading. Some people charge way more than that, but it is what it is. The more I do the job, the more I feel confident that I deserve what I’m charging.

I have two full-time jobs now: one for copyediting and proofreading, the other is an on-site 9 to 5, which requires more administrative work than editing. Combined, both jobs bring in about ₦301k regularly. Side gigs come and go. 

“My income depends on how many jobs I get in a month” — Christopher, Designer

I’ve been a graphic designer for seven years now. And funnily enough, I chose this path because it came to me easily. At the start, like everybody else, I worked for free. Now, I try to charge what I’m worth every time.

Before, I’d charge around ₦12 to ₦15k per design job. Then it rose to around ₦50k. My fees match my services because I don’t just design, I do branding work as well. 

As a freelancer, what I earn depends on how many jobs I get. But I do charge around ₦100k and above for each job. I prefer the freedom that comes with being a freelancer and I enjoy being a graphic designer. 

“As my confidence grew, so did my rates” — Adekunle, Writer

I’m a writer. I’ve been doing this for six years, and it’s been a wild ride. I started writing because I was in a bad place mentally. My family physician advised me to write down my feelings and from there, my love for writing grew.  

At the start, I used to do simple blog posts and short-form articles. Then I moved on to more sales-oriented writing, corporate communications and business writing. I’ve done nearly every kind of writing, but now I’m focused on selling stuff. As a freelancer, I used to charge ₦1 per word, before I increased my rate to ₦2.50. Then I freelanced with a ghostwriting organisation, where I charged ₦5 per word. As my confidence grew, so did my rates. 

I used to script web pages for ₦10k, now I charge ₦30k per web page. So that’s ₦150k for a 5-page web copy job. I work full-time as a Product Marketing Manager, so everything I do is product-led content marketing and I earn ₦300k monthly. In a good month, with side gigs, my income could sum up to ₦450k to ₦500k.