How Nigerians Earn Currency Through Remote Work Opportunities

Despite the economic crisis and high unemployment, Nigerians are finding new opportunities working for overseas-based companies, writesDEBORAH DAN-AWOH

Remote work is a system in which employees are permitted to perform their duties in organizations from locations other than corporate workspaces. These locations can include employee homes, private offices, or other shared spaces.

Remote work has been common practice for many years now. However, the global pandemic of 2020 that rocked nations like Nigeria has amplified the voice of this work culture.

The pandemic era has driven many people out of their jobs as various companies have allowed staff to work from home or elsewhere.

COVID-19 has had social and economic implications, both positive and negative.

It ruined several economies and exposed the incompetence of economic managers across nations. The World Economic Outlook noted that Nigeria's GDP hit an all-time low with a decline of -6%. The unemployment rate in the second quarter of 2020 was also 27%, according to the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics.

This figure then rose to 33.3% in the fourth quarter of the same period, the BES said.

It is interesting to note that since COVID, there seems to be an increase in demand for qualified human resources around the world. And Nigeria boasts of the largest youth population in the world, with a median age of 18.1, according to statistics. This translates into human capital, with around 70% of the population under the age of 30 and 42% under the age of 15.

Especially with the impending global recession, local inflationary pressures, insecurity, devaluation of the naira, depletion of foreign exchange reserves and a 33% unemployment rate, moreover more and more Nigerians are taking advantage of remote work opportunities, especially with foreigners. companies.

These far-flung foreign roles have served as a hedge against the steady devaluation of the Nigerian naira, local job insecurity, and inflationary pressures because employees earn in dollars. As more and more doors open for remote work with overseas-based companies, more and more Nigerians are grabbing these opportunities with both hands to secure their long-term financial future.

Tobi Amure, a 28-year-old crypto news writer for Investopedia and other Defi companies, is one of many Nigerians enjoying the benefits of working for foreign companies from the confines of their residence.

Recounting his remote work experience which started in 2019 on Upwork, (a freelance app for employers and employees), Amure explained that all it takes is one application and that in a month he was drafted into the remote work army.

"Didn't take that long anyway via Upwork. I think about a month after setting it up."

Talking about the working culture at the overseas-based company, Amure described it as "quite laid back".

"My editor sends work by mail, and sometimes we might have a zoom meeting just to explain some things. There's respect, nobody steps on anybody's toes, and you have there's a deadline to meet and you stick to it. So there's no pressure. That's absolutely true."

According to the 28-year-old SEO copywriter, his role as a freelancer at the company earned him an average of $2,000 per month.

"Although this is a freelance role, technically the amount ranges from $1,000 to $3,000, depending on how much work I can do. The good thing is that I reside in Nigeria, Lagos to be precise, and I am 28 years old."

Amure revealed that despite his ability to earn money, he still intended to leave Nigeria for a better life.

"Obviously the problem is that I am looking for a career in digital marketing and it will make sense to live abroad as some of these companies do not want to work with Nigerians based in Nigeria. Then there is also the issue of insecurity."

Janet John, 25, a technical writer and content marketer for an overseas company, shared her experience in her current role at Uyo.

"I used to code. I used to do front-end and while learning I wrote articles about what I learned to help me better understand what I do. That's how I got into technical writing. So at some point someone told me that they liked what I wrote and would like me to write for him.

"It was a technical article on one of the front-end tools. And, they were going to pay me $200. So I agreed and wrote it and they liked it .

And that's how I started technical writing. So I'll build something, then I'll write about it."

His constant efforts and applications have earned him writing and opera concerts.