TopUp Africa

10 Free Apps to Make Money as a Student in Nigeria

Explore the possibilities for students to earn actual money with these top apps in Nigeria. From Toloka and Piggyvest to Airbnb and Swagbucks, uncover a variety of opportunities for making money and achieving financial independence. Whether you’re saving, investing, or completing straightforward social media tasks, these apps cater to the needs of every student.

“Money is the root to address problems and settle bills.” You may have had a different perspective, but this is how I define money. In Nigeria, we’ve transitioned from the era when students relied solely on their parents for financial support. Nowadays, some students not only attend school but also become millionaires. If you’re contemplating your next steps, that’s likely why you clicked to read this post.

Why You Need These Apps as a Student?

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you urgently needed to call home or your parents because you were on the brink of dying from hunger in 15 minutes?

Or perhaps you realized that the deadline for your textbooks was long overdue, and you needed them for exams, only to be met with the frustrating response of “turn me upside down and up, you will not see shi-shi” from your parents, highlighting the clear lack of financial resources?

This is where these apps come in, serving as a reliable Plan B. Also, students need quality time with friends to engage in enjoyable activities without constantly relying on others to pay their bills.

How Can I Access These Apps?

You don’t require a miracle from heaven, just a reasonably smart phone. I understand that students may not own a phone with an exorbitant price tag; a decent phone with around 2GB and a modest data subscription is perfect. Moreover, owning a laptop is not even necessary.

Why the Apps Below Are the Most Suitable

Some students may not have acquired a skill yet, but they can quickly develop one. Skills such as graphic design, content writing, project management, and more are valuable. Proficiency in all of these is not necessary to start making money using the mobile apps listed below. This opportunity levels the playing field for every student.

The following apps are free apps to make real money instantly as a student in Nigeria;

1. Toloka

   Toloka is not only effective for earning money in Nigeria but also in several other countries. It offers users various opportunities to earn, such as watching videos on websites and identifying videos that your smartphone cannot play—perhaps due to unsupported file formats, codecs, or other technical issues.

   Users can then participate in surveys, add information about businesses, check working hours, and mark building entrances. This app is available for download on both the Google Play Store and Apple Store.

   

2. Piggyvest

   Piggyvest is currently quite popular and is undoubtedly a suitable platform for making money. Wondering how? In a country with a challenging economy like ours, it’s nearly impossible to find investment opportunities with just five thousand naira. However, this app not only encourages saving with amounts as low as that but also provides an avenue to receive daily interest.

   Moreover, users can invest in various sectors such as transportation, real estate, and agriculture. This presents a promising way for students to start earning a sustainable income. 

   

3. Airbnb

   Join over 100 million users of this app and discover a way to earn money as a student. Here’s how: Many students who visit for registrations and clearance often find themselves without a place to stay overnight. You can seize this opportunity by listing your room or apartment for nightly rent on this app, allowing you to earn money effortlessly.

   

4. Swagbucks

   You’ve likely heard of Swagbucks, right? Now here is what is being done there— you get paid for online shopping, playing games, completing surveys, and various other activities. Many users have successfully earned substantial amounts on this reliable online reward platform. The points, known as “SB,” that you accumulate can also be redeemed for gift cards from top brands like Amazon and Starbucks.

   

5. NairaMetrics

   Here, making money as students is simple – all you need to do is stay informed and earn money. Just read the news and convert your points to cash (naira) or airtime. Inviting friends to join can also bring added joy, as there are rewards for referrals.

   

6. Ibotta

   Rather than purchasing items from conventional stores and receiving no rewards, I recommend students use Ibotta for their shopping needs to earn cashbacks. Furthermore, you can earn extra cash by referring friends using your unique referral code. Ibotta is affiliated with well-known apps such as Uber, Jet.com, Groupon, Boxed, and eBay.

   

7. Toluna

   Toluna Influencers is a platform where individuals share insights on products, respond to daily surveys, engage in digital projects, and impact major brands’ decisions on future products and services, all in exchange for rewards. This app can serve as a supplement or an added advantage for students.

   

8. Chipper Cash

   While the app isn’t designed specifically for earning money, the sole avenue for earning is through referrals. All you need do is encourage your fellow students to register on the app using your referral code or link.

   The Chipper Cash app simplifies various financial transactions, including payments, money transfers, purchasing data and airtime, and bill payments. Through successful referrals, you can earn up to N1,000 per person. This extra cash can cover your garri expenses for the week.

   

9. Hawkit

   Hawkit is a platform where you get paid for performing simple social media tasks that you do daily. These tasks include posting advertisements on WhatsApp status, commenting on posts, liking and following pages or accounts, sharing posts, testing apps, and subscribing to YouTube channels.

   Students have the opportunity to earn ₦60 for app reviews, ₦50 for each repost, ₦50 for joining a WhatsApp group or Telegram channel, and ₦20 per comment. In my opinion, this app seems to be potentially designed with students in mind.

   

10. TopUp Africa

    Lastly, there’s TopUp Africa. The concept here is quite simple—pay your electricity bills, recharge your phones with a variety of networks like MTN, Airtel, 9mobile, etc. Referring your friends to use this app is even more rewarding, as you can earn when they make transactions..

    

Summing it all up

There are other finance apps where students can make money, such as Fiverr, Upwork, Canva, and Freelancer, etc. However, this post was created with the consideration that some students may not possess usual or technical skills to offer on those platforms. Everyone can explore the opportunities provided by the mentioned apps. Please share in the comment section if you know of other apps with similar functions to those mentioned above.