Geegpay Diaries with Hajara Garba: How To Make Money On TikTok As a Nigerian

It started with a lockdown, a little boredom, and a phone.

Hajara Garba was juggling school, part-time teaching, and a small shoe business when she downloaded TikTok. At first, it was just something to pass time. She joined a few challenges, posted for fun, and hoped a couple of videos might get some views.

Then one video changed everything.

In this edition of Geegpay Diaries, Hajara breaks down how a random post led to her first viral moment, how she carved a niche with tech content in Hausa, and how that niche turned into a real source of income. If you’re wondering how regular Nigerians are making money from content on TikTok, this episode is for you, and if you missed the last episode, you can read it here.

Q: Let’s take it back to the very beginning. Who was Hajara before TikTok?

Hajara: Honestly? Just a regular girl living a regular life. I was in school, running a small business on the side, selling handmade shoes, actually. I’d source the materials, get someone to stitch them, and then send them off to customers. I also used to teach primary and secondary school kids. My weekdays were packed with classes, and on weekends, I’d head to the market stage, run some errands, maybe try to sell a few more pairs of shoes. Life was full, but in a quiet, steady kind of way.

Q: That actually sounds like you were doing a lot.

Hajara: (laughs) Yes, I was everywhere. If there was business involved, I was in. Anything that brought in something, I did it. I’ve always been that kind of person: hands-on, curious, always trying something new.

Q: So what was the first TikTok video that made you stop and go, “Okay, I’m really doing this”?

Hajara: It was during the pandemic. Schools had moved online, and everything felt weird. Since there wasn’t much to do, my sisters and I started joining TikTok challenges. Nothing serious, we were just having fun. Sometimes the videos got views, sometimes they didn’t. But it was all vibes.

What really changed everything was a live session I did one day. Someone commented during the Live and said, “Instead of just talking, why not try to do something that engages people?” That stayed with me. Around that same time, I kept seeing people talk about iPhones, Apple features, and tech stuff on TikTok. I thought, why not give it a try, especially in Hausa, since most of the content out there was in English.

So I shot a short video explaining something tech-related in Hausa. Honestly, I didn’t expect much. I posted it, went on with my day, and slept. When I woke up the next morning, the notifications were wild, over 500,000 views. By the next day, it was pushing a million. That was the moment I knew: Okay, this is something.

Q: Once you found your niche, what other strategies have helped you grow or are you currently exploring?

Hajara: One of the biggest things I’ve learned on TikTok is the importance of consistency. If you're just starting out, you need to be active. I’m talking three posts a day, every single day, and at least four to five times a week. That kind of consistency tells the algorithm that you’re serious, and it rewards you with better reach and engagement.

Another thing that really helped me early on was going live. I didn’t understand how impactful it was at first. But eventually, I noticed that when you're live, your video can appear on someone’s For You Page, and they’ll see that you’re currently streaming. That makes people curious. They want to see who you are, so they join the Live, and from there, many of them check out your other videos. During the Live, you can even mention new videos you've posted, and people will go watch them immediately. It helps your overall engagement.

I also started paying close attention to how I begin my videos. I always start with a strong hook, something that grabs attention in the first few seconds. Whether it’s a surprising fact, a quick question, or something unusual, that hook is what keeps people watching. It's one of the most important parts of the video, and it's still working for me.

Q: Let’s talk about monetising. Most people want to know how to turn views into income. Have you figured that out?

Hajara: Yes, and honestly, it’s one of the best things that’s happened to me so far. In the beginning, I never thought TikTok could make me money. But over time, I discovered different ways to earn from it, and now I’d say there are at least three main methods I use.

The first is building a strong community. You need to create content that makes people trust you and see you as someone they can learn from. Once that happens, people naturally start to engage more. They ask questions, they look forward to your posts, and they’re open to whatever you offer, whether it’s advice, a product, or something else.

For me, that led to something unexpected. A lot of the messages I was getting were from women asking for help with their business. Many of them were stuck, either trying to start or scale. I’ve always loved business. I’ve been involved in one thing or another since secondary school. So I decided to respond by creating business content alongside my tech videos. The response was overwhelming and profitable.

That’s where my first monetisation idea came in. I offered a free coaching class for women interested in business. I announced it on TikTok, and the response was huge. At one point, I had so many people sign up that I had to move the entire class from WhatsApp to Telegram. I didn’t charge anything for that first session, but the interest was enough to show me that this could actually work. Eventually, I turned that into a digital product and started charging for structured classes and coaching sessions. That was my first real income from TikTok.

‍Q: What about brand deals? Has influencing come into the picture?

Hajara: Yes, that was the second big stream of income. Once you have a good number of followers and a strong presence, brands start reaching out. They ask for your rate card or want to collaborate on product promotions. Sometimes it’s fashion brands, sometimes tech, or even skincare. They usually want you to create a video in your own style and post it to your audience.

Q: Are there any other ways you’ve found to earn directly from TikTok itself?

Hajara: Yes, TikTok has a few programs. One of them is the Rewards Program. Nigeria isn’t part of the full monetisation features like in the US, but this program still allows creators here to earn based on engagement. It’s not a lot yet, but it’s something. I think they’re slowly rolling out better systems.

Another method is going live. During live sessions, viewers can send you TikTok gifts, which the app then converts to money. Once you’re done with the Live, the gifts are calculated and turned into USD. 

Q: You’ve spoken a lot about community and how it has shaped your content and helped you earn from TikTok. What’s been the most meaningful moment for you in that regard?

Hajara: That would be when someone who attended my business class reached out months later to thank me. She was part of a session I ran in 2023 and even paid extra for a one-on-one class. At the time, she had all the ideas and resources to start a business, but she didn’t know how to put them together. She felt stuck.

We mapped everything out together. From her business name and branding to how her page should look and what kind of content she could post. When she came back the next year, she told me she was finally running her business. She said she was now able to save millions and was earning between 300,000 to 500,000 naira each month. She was so excited to share that she still follows the same steps we created during that class.

That stayed with me. You never really expect to hear back from every person in a class of 50 or more. But when someone takes what you share, applies it, and comes back to say it worked, it’s a reminder that this thing is real. That what you’re doing matters.

Q: If someone else wanted to build a strong community like that, what would you tell them?

Hajara: I’d start with the one thing I wish someone had told me – content creation takes patience. It’s not something that just clicks overnight. You see people doing well on social media and assume they got lucky, but most of the time, it’s the result of months or years of consistency.

The second thing is to choose a clear focus. A niche. That’s what helps people understand what to expect from you. If you post about business today, food tomorrow, and relationships the next day, you’ll confuse your audience. People follow you for a reason. If that reason changes every week, they lose interest.

Once you find your niche, be consistent with it. Do something that genuinely interests you so you don’t burn out. If it’s fashion, food, tech, or comedy, let it be something you enjoy talking about because it makes showing up easier.

Also, stay real. People don’t just want content. They want a connection. Respond to comments when you can. Share parts of yourself that people can relate to. There are people who follow you because they like what you do, and there are others who follow out of habit, but don’t engage. The only way to keep the ones who matter is to build a real relationship with them over time.

Q: Have you ever dealt with burnout or mental fatigue from all of this?

Hajara: Yes. And I think every creator has, even if they don’t talk about it. Sometimes it’s a random comment that gets to you. Other times, it’s just the pressure of always needing to show up. There are days when I’ve wanted to disappear completely. When someone says something hurtful on a live or in the comments, it can hit you in a way you didn’t expect.

When that happens, I take time off. I stop posting, go to the gym, or spend time with my sisters. I let myself reset. There was a time I even spoke to a psychologist because everything felt too heavy. It wasn’t just about content anymore. It was about life, money, and expectations. I needed to talk to someone who could help me sort through that, and it helped.

No one really talks about the weight of this work. People see the views, the likes, the brand deals, but they don’t see the constant pressure. They don’t see how draining it can be to feel like your life is always on display. So now, whenever I feel overwhelmed, I just unplug and do the things that make me feel like myself again. And when I come back, I’m better for it.

And that brings us to the end of this session. Hajara’s story isn’t finished. But it’s already proof that showing up with intention can do more than grow numbers. It can change your life. Want to also kickstart your content creation career in 2025? We put together everything you need here. See you next time.