AI is Everywhere — Here’s How to Turn It From Hype to Profit: Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably heard AI being mentioned in every conversation and headline lately, leaving you wondering what it’s all about and maybe if it is possible to use it to your advantage. Spoiler; the answer is an emphatic YES.
If you’re a young Nigerian looking to hustle smarter, not harder, you’re in the perfect spot. Let’s break down how you can turn AI from just another buzzword into your next paycheck — no university degree required.
What Even Is AI?
Let’s Start Simple.
AI, or Artificial Intelligence, is like teaching computers to “think” and learn. Think of it as a super-smart assistant that can analyze data, recognize patterns, and even make decisions.
From Netflix recommending “Blood Sisters” to Jumia predicting your next purchase, AI is already shaping your daily life. But here’s the kicker: you don’t need so much tech expertise to profit from it.
By its very nature, artificial intelligence levels the playing field between beginners and experts, making it easier than ever to tap into opportunities without deep technical skills.
The key is learning how to harness AI effectively — so instead of just watching this tech revolution unfold, you can position yourself to profit from it.
Real Ways Nigerians Are Making Money with AI Right Now
1. Freelance AI Services: Get Paid for What You Know
Freelancing is nothing new to Nigerians, this business is responsible for putting food on the table for many young adults in the country. But did you know you can offer freelance services based on AI?
The common notion is that AI is going to take everybody’s jobs, from writing to graphics designers (the majority of Nigerian freelancers fall in this category). However, that doesn’t mean you cannot leverage AI to put your own spin on these gigs.
For instance, Lanre, a 23 year old graphic designer in Lagos now uses AI image generators in his offerings, to speed up his work and handle multiple clients earning him more money monthly.
As you can see, AI didn’t take his job, Lanre simply adapted and integrated AI into his work flow to boost his earnings and you can do the same, so, embrace the technology instead of buying into the fear mongering. This same thinking can be applied to writing and many other services.
AI has also lowered the barrier to entry in these areas since it does most of the heavy lifting. Instead of learning graphics design, animation from scratch, you can learn and polish your editing skills and use AI to generate your images and videos and you simply put everything together in a cohesive manner with your editing.
To get started with freelancing with AI, you need to niche down, find that sweet spot where the advantages of AI will be a no brainer and craft a gig that will speak to your audience. Join popular freelancer platforms like Fiverr and Upwork, start with a small competitive fee and scale up when you’re more confident.
2. Content Creation 2.0: Let AI Be Your Sidekick
The content creation era which started in the 2010s has evolved drastically and now AI is acting as the new catalyst for this new age of content creation.
And the best thing about content creation 2.0?
Well, you don’t have to show your face or require the latest iPhone or special equipment. Animators like Jude OC are making lots of money on youtube, instagram and tiktok simply by leveraging their drawing and animation skills.
But what if you’re not a digital artist or animator?
This is where AI can be your best friend.
With the help of artificial intelligence, you can generate images of characters and then animate them, generate a good AI voice script for your character and dabble in a little bit of video editing and you have a recipe for potential viral content ready to go.
This is just the tip of the iceberg, they’re many ways and many genres you can explore with AI content creation.
Some people focus on history based content that educates their viewers about historical figures, others make funny content about celebrities using deep fake AI tools and voice generators.
So it’s all a matter of creativity and what you’re comfortable with; but the potential here is tremendous.
Here are some of the best tools you can leverage if you want to delve into this space.
AI image generators: midjourney, DALLE, Leonardo
AI video generators: Kling, Runway, Synthesia
Video editor: Capcut, Davinci Resolve
Voice overs: Elevenlabs, Narakeet
3. Build & Sell AI Apps for Businesses: Creating AI Solutions That Companies Need
“You want me to build AI apps? But I’m not Mark Zuckerberg!”
I hear you…
Relax — you don’t need to go through the rigors of learning to code. Remember what we said about leveling the playing field and reducing the barrier of entry?
This is what you get with AI.
Today, there are so many AI powered solutions that can help you to build, edit and tweak your apps by simply using drag and drop tools in conjunction with APIs.
These no-code tools allow you to skip the process of software engineering and coding to create useful AI systems for businesses.The most popular of these tools include make.com, go high level and zapier.
You can build marketing automations, help businesses automate customer relationships, integrate CRM, simplify workflows and enhance business efficiency.
Imagine creating a system that automates SMS alerts every time a pharmacy runs out of drugs or one that predicts crop yield for farmers based on historical data of soil health and weather conditions.
You can easily build systems like these and sell to local businesses or even foreign clients. Market your services as helping these businesses save costs and improve their overall efficacy.
By positioning yourself as a cost saver with the provision of AI-powered efficiency, you can turn your automations into a profitable venture while helping businesses scale smarter.
4. Data Annotation: The Hidden Engine Behind AI Magic
Have you wondered how self-driving cars “see” potholes or why Netflix knows you’re addicted to Korean rom-coms? The answer is data annotators.
These invisible architects are responsible for training AI to recognize patterns through the process of labelling or tagging data in various formats including images, text or videos.
While this type of work can go well with freelancing, it is best to apply and get a job as a data annotator.
The pay might not be as great as the other opportunities listed here, but you can use it as a stepping stone, to build a foundation that will allow you to transition into something more financially rewarding. Apply for data annotation jobs with both foreign and local companies.
Regardless of how advanced things may look right now, AI is still in its infancy and data annotators are in heavy demand, so this is the best time to take advantage of this opportunity.
So, dust up your CV, do a bit of revamping and start hunting for data annotation jobs on websites like indeed, glassdoor or even linkedin.
These new opportunities are great, but there is no denying that the age-old problem of ‘NEPA’ and data can be a stumbling block to your success. Best thing to do is find a work around these issues.
Here are some hacks that work:
Co-working Spaces: Find affordable work spaces in your area that offer steady power + Wi-Fi.
Data Tricks: Take advantage of special data offered by the various networks for downloading courses.
Final Word: AI Isn’t Magic — It’s a Tool
With how advanced AI has been getting, we may all think that eventually, AI will replace or take all our jobs. This isn’t completely true.
The truth is…
AI won’t replace you, but someone using AI might. The game-changer? Start now, even if imperfectly. That phone in your hand or the laptop in your cupboard is a goldmine waiting to be unlocked, you just have to take action.
So, what’ll it be? Will you keep consuming, or would you start building?
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