For a growing number of Nigerian women, a smartphone is more than a communication tool — it’s a lifeline, a classroom, and a business hub. By harnessing mobile platforms, they’re creating jobs for themselves, learning new skills, and breaking free from economic limitations.
Take Kehinde Fagbemi, for instance. After completing her National Youth Service Corps without securing a traditional job, she turned necessity into opportunity. Her bead-making business found its footing through WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube — platforms she used not only to sell but also to upskill in areas like graphic design and video editing. The phone became her workshop and storefront rolled into one, helping her reach customers far beyond her street. While she’s faced hurdles such as limited storage space and the danger of overreliance on digital tools, she says nothing compares to the pride of building something of her own.
Oyindamola Ogundana took a different route, using her phone as a gateway to the global freelance economy. With Trello, Asana, Coursera, and Udemy, she sharpened her skills, managed projects, and found paying clients. The shift wasn’t without challenges — from steep learning curves to skepticism from those around her — but she credits education, patience, and supportive networks for helping her succeed.
For Sade Ogidan, who runs a fashion and office supplies business, the phone is her marketing department. Through WhatsApp status updates and Facebook stories, she has expanded her customer base and strengthened her brand. Data costs remain a pain point, but her advice to others is clear: stay consistent, realistic, and persistent in building a digital presence.
Their stories mark a quiet but powerful shift: technology in the hands of women moving from passive scrolling to active creation. In doing so, they’re proving that the path to economic stability doesn’t have to run through a traditional 9-to-5 job. Instead, with creativity and strategic use of mobile tools, self-employment, skill-building, and community engagement are entirely within reach.
As mobile internet coverage deepens across Nigeria, these women are not just participating in the digital economy — they’re writing the manual on how to thrive in it.
