Academic Freelancing in Nigeria: How 1Capacity Is Empowering Lecturers with Remote Income
In a viral Hausa-language interview that resonated across Nigeria, Dr. Umar Osabo, a professor from Ahmadu Bello University lamented the economic decay facing Nigeria’s academic community. His words struck a nerve. Today, many Nigerian professors earn the equivalent of just over $300 monthly—less than they did 15 years ago, while the cost of living has skyrocketed. Once symbols of intellectual pride, professors are now encouraged to “hustle”—drive cabs, farm, or take political jobs to survive.
This is not just an economic issue—it’s a national emergency. Nigeria is watching its intellectual infrastructure quietly collapse. Research is declining, mentorship is fading, and young lecturers now split their days between lecture halls and survival gigs.
In this bleak context, 1Capacity, a digital talent marketplace built by Devstork Platform for Development (DPDAfrica), is emerging as a critical solution. The platform connects academics—lecturers, PhD students, researchers and even independent consultants—with remote consulting and technical opportunities in the development sector. Whether it’s policy documentation, manuscript development. proposal development, research, data analysis, financial costing, or systems design, the platform allows Nigerian academics to earn dignified income by applying their expertise to real-world problems.
To strengthen the pipeline of academic participation, DPD is now piloting the Academic Freelancing Readiness (AFR) Program—a focused intervention designed to train, onboard, and mentor lecturers and academic researchers on how to earn as remote professionals. The AFR program offers short, targeted workshops on digital consulting skills, pricing and negotiation, platform readiness, and client engagement. Participants are onboarded onto 1Capacity.com, matched with available gigs, and supported to build their digital consulting profiles.
Importantly, the 1Capacity model for academics doesn’t just support individual talent. It also offers a revenue-share structure that channels a small portion of income to home institutions, enabling departments to fund small-scale research, retain talent, and stay connected to global development practice.
With the AFR program set to launch its first pilot cohort between Q3 and Q4 2025, Nigerian universities and even the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) have a timely opportunity to reposition their workforce. This is not about abandoning the classroom—but about adapting it to a new economy. One where intellectual capital is global, demand-driven, and digitally distributed.
In a country where the professoriate has been told to “find something else to do,” 1Capacity and AFR are saying: do what you do best—just let the world pay for it.
You can also read this: How technical support can strengthen local NGOs for greater development impact