As the rising cost of living continues to strain household finances, many workers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have turned to petty trading and other side hustles to supplement their incomes. Respondents, including civil servants, teachers, bankers and healthcare workers, said their salaries were no longer sufficient to meet rising expenses such as transportation, food, rent, school fees and utility bills.
Speaking in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja, the workers said they had reduced their leisure time to run income-generating ventures after work and on weekends. They said what had started as hobbies or occasional businesses had become essential sources of income, as the extra earnings were no longer optional but necessary to make ends meet.
Mrs Ekaite Obong, a civil servant, said she operates a mini shop in a plaza within her estate where she sells water, soft drinks and other beverages after work.
“I close from work by 4 p.m. and head straight to my shop, where I stay until about 7 p.m. every working day,” she said. “It is stressful, but I do not mind because the extra income helps me pay transport fares and buy groceries. Without this business, surviving on my salary alone would be difficult.”
Another respondent, Miss Anita Chikaodinaka, said weekends that were once reserved for rest and family had now become business days. According to her, she works as a civil servant from Monday to Friday and sells fairly used children’s clothes, popularly known as okrika, at Dutse Market on Saturdays and Sundays.
“I used to do this business only on Saturdays and in small quantities, but now I buy full bales and sell in larger quantities on Saturdays and Sundays,” she said. “The business has its challenges, but what can we do? We have to keep going because the extra income goes a long way in supporting my family.”
Also speaking, Miss Blessing Ode, a teacher, said the country’s harsh economic situation forced her to turn her baking hobby into a source of income.
“I used to bake cakes and pastries occasionally at weekends for my family and friends,” she said. “Recently, I realised I needed another source of income because my salary is barely enough to take care of my three children. So now, I make pastries and take them to the school where I teach to sell during break time. Although the money is not much, it helps with some of my children’s school expenses.”
Ode called on the government to ease the burden on workers, especially teachers, by increasing their salaries and other allowances.
Ride-hailing services have also become a lifeline for some workers seeking additional income after official working hours. Mr Sunday Okeh, a banker, said he started conveying passengers along the Area 1-Kubwa route after work to cushion the impact of the high cost of fuel.
“My salary can no longer cover my family’s basic needs, and the cost of fuel is another major challenge,” he said. “I usually pick up passengers from Area 1 to Kubwa after work. What I make helps me buy fuel, and I also use part of it to support my family.”
Commenting on the trend, economist Dr Gideon Maigida said the growing dependence on multiple income streams reflected the pressure inflation had placed on household purchasing power.
“When wages remain relatively stagnant while the cost of goods and services continues to rise, households naturally seek additional sources of income to maintain their standard of living,” he said.
Maigida noted that secondary sources of income had become a coping mechanism for many people in urban centres and said the trend highlighted the need for sustained efforts to improve workers’ welfare and expand decent employment opportunities.
“Many workers are not pursuing side hustles because they want to. They are doing so because economic realities demand it,” he said.
Also speaking, Mrs Hannah Udochi, a nurse, warned that balancing full-time employment with additional businesses could affect workers’ physical and mental health.
“Working long hours without adequate rest increases the risk of stress, fatigue and burnout. Workers should also pay attention to their health,” she said.
Despite the challenges, many of the respondents said they remained optimistic that their businesses would eventually grow into sustainable enterprises. They also expressed hope that improving economic conditions would ease pressure on household finances and allow them to achieve a healthier work-life balance. For now, however, many workers say the extra hours spent baking, driving, tutoring, trading and offering professional services are no longer optional but have become necessary to make ends meet.
