In a country where economic challenges intersect with youthful ambition, a new generation of Nigerians is redefining what it means to be a student. These are young people navigating lecture halls by day and running businesses, delivering food, managing social media accounts, or working as tailors, hairdressers, or online freelancers by night/day as the case may be. They are Nigeria’s side hustle generation, a group of students who have learned, either by necessity or desire, to balance academic life with the demands of earning a living.
Balancing work and study has become the norm rather than the exception for many students in Nigeria’s universities and polytechnics. It is a survival strategy in an economy where the minimum wage has just been increased to N70,000 monthly and where inflation, unemployment, and poor funding of education are daily realities. According to a 2022 report by SBM Intelligence, over 70% of undergraduates in Nigeria engage in one form of hustle or the other. Their reasons are as varied as they are valid, financial independence, family support, passion projects, or simply making ends meet.
But how are these young Nigerians coping? What are the implications for their mental health, academic performance, and future aspirations? And most importantly, what does it say about the direction the country is heading?
For many Nigerian students, the decision to engage in a side hustle is not always borne out of entrepreneurial zeal. It is, more often than not, a question of survival. With the rising cost of tuition, transportation, textbooks, and even food, students, particularly those from low-income backgrounds, have little choice but to find alternative sources of income.
Take Fatima, for instance, a 300-level student of Political Science at the University of Ilorin. She runs an online thrift store where she sells pre-loved clothing on Instagram. “My parents try their best, but everything is expensive now,” she says. “I started this just to help myself. Now, it’s how I pay for extra hand-outs and my feeding.” For others like Ebuka, a Yaba College of Technology student who repairs phones on weekends, the side hustle is a step towards building something long-term. “I want to open a shop after school. I want to take it further by owning a big store where phone laptops and other gadgets are sold. This now helps me build customer trust and save some money,” he explains.
While the motivations may differ, one thing unites them all: a determination to make it against all odds. Balancing a side hustle with academic demands is no easy feat. Many students report increased levels of stress, anxiety, and even burnout. The pressure to meet deadlines for both school assignments, projects, reading and business deliveries, coupled with the lack of rest and limited social life, creates a vicious cycle. “There are days I just break down,” admits Tolu, a student at the University of Lagos who works part-time at a water factory. “You go to school, then straight to work, then you come home to read for a test. It never ends.”
Academic performance is also affected in many cases. Some students skip lectures or practicals to meet up with clients or deliver products. Others find themselves struggling to study effectively after long hours of work. While some are able to thrive, others experience a noticeable dip in their grades, leading to a cycle of poor performance and growing anxiety. Despite these challenges, few students feel they have a choice. The fear of being financially stranded, or worse, dropping out, compels them to push through exhaustion and sacrifice rest.
But it’s not all gloom. The side hustle generation is also showing incredible creativity, resilience, and entrepreneurial spirit. Many are not just surviving, they are building brands, mastering skills, and positioning themselves for life beyond school. With platforms like Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and WhatsApp, students are tapping into the digital economy like never before. From running digital design services to dropshipping, affiliate marketing, and blogging, the opportunities, though not always easy, are vast.
Moreover, these hustles are teaching valuable life skills: time management, communication, marketing, customer service, and leadership. For some, these experiences offer more practical education than their classroom lectures. A 2023 report by Jobberman revealed that employers in Nigeria increasingly favour graduates with demonstrable soft skills and entrepreneurial experiences. This suggests that students balancing school with work may actually be better equipped for life post-graduation.
Despite the innovation and determination of these students, the lack of institutional and governmental support remains a significant gap. Nigerian universities and polytechnics are largely silent on the needs of working students. There are no student loans, limited scholarships, and almost non-existent support for student entrepreneurs. Students like Chisom, a Mass Communication student at the University of Nigeria Nsukka who runs a baking business, say that having access to grants, business mentorship, or even work-study programmes could make a world of difference. “Everything I earn, I put back into my business or my studies. I don’t have the luxury of funding or guidance,” she says.
In contrast, countries like Germany, Canada, and the United States have formal work-study structures, allowing students to work on campus while studying, often in roles that build towards their career paths. In Nigeria, such initiatives are rare or poorly managed. The question remains can Nigerian students sustainably balance work and study in the long run? For some, the hustle sharpens their edge and keeps them grounded. For others, the stress and instability threaten their academic and personal wellbeing.
Educators, policymakers, and institutions must recognise that this is more than just a trend; it’s a reflection of deeper systemic issues. The economic pressure on young people, the lack of a safety net for students, and the unaddressed gaps in Nigeria’s education financing are all contributing to the rise of the side hustle generation. For now, Nigerian students continue to defy the odds, hustling their way through school with a mixture of grit, ambition, and sheer necessity. But for their potential to truly blossom, they need support—financial, institutional, and emotional.
The side hustle generation in Nigeria is not just a youth movement, it is a reflection of an evolving society where resilience meets reality. These young Nigerians are redefining what it means to be a student, an entrepreneur, and a future leader, all at once. While the hustle may be hard, it’s also producing a generation of students who are more adaptive, more self-aware, and more ready for the real world than ever before.
