Economy
How to Make Money as a Writer
By Emmanuel Udom
The coming into existence of computers and the internet has indeed reduced our world to a global family. Every profession and vocation has therefore gone online.
These days, it is common to hear words like e-commerce, e-books, e-banking, e-governance e-relationship and of course, e-marriage.
This is indeed a digital age, where with a click of the mouse, you can successfully seal a business deal; get information, network for friendship, marriage etc.
Reflect deeply on what I am about to tell you here. Are you a medical doctor, business person, journalist, fashion designer, plumber, teacher, entertainer, computer expert, entrepreneur, or even a pastor or an Imam? The truth is that regardless of your profession or vocation, you and I are marketers.
The bottom line of our networking, daily hustles, bustles and runs is to market our knowledge, talent, skill, passion, products, services, or ideas. Therefore, with the internet in place, the entire world has become our marketplace. Geographical location is no longer an issue.
Let me now zero in on you, as an aspiring writer, if you are not yet one. It takes a burning passion, focus, discipline, pain and a raw, determined spirit to work towards becoming a world-class writer.
Writing is not, has never been and will never be a piece of cake, or tea party. Ask those who have attempted times without number to write an article, a book, a novel, a script, and documentary or a research paper.
Why do you want to be a writer? This is a personal question that you alone should answer, not me. There are a thousand and one reasons why people aspire to write for the public. I am sure you can list some of the reasons.
However, you as a writer must add value, benefits, information, education, and insight to your readers to remain relevant.
In this computer age, it is not about writing to impress but writing to sell. A writer is a marketer, just like the sales representatives, who go from place to place to market their products or services.
Writers are not expected to move from one locality, state or country to the other. They are expected to sit down and graft quality, promotional articles that will attract traffic (visitors) across the globe.
To graft goes beyond writing to impress. You have got to get the right words and carefully build them into powerful and attractive articles, books, scripts and documentaries.
In my e-book: How To Make Money As A Writer, I have outlined some of the steps budding writers must take to bring their dreams of becoming world-class writers to fruition.
Let me pause here and say this. If your aspiration as a writer is to make quick money overnight, I suggest you drop the idea. Like every legitimate business, it takes pains, commitment, focus, passion and determination to grow your business. Becoming a world-class writer is not exclusive here. Ideas come before money. So, your income from writing will come in trickles and grow with time and
The Basics
As a writer, you are aspiring to publish quality, attractive content for your clients and readers. Whether you want to write hard copies, or e-books, or post your articles on blogs or sites, there are some basics you must know that will help you in bringing your dream to reality.
Discipline
Nobody can achieve much in life without discipline. It has nothing to do with your profession or vocation. You must be focused, not easily distracted, organized and time-conscious to be a super writer.
Read Wide
Content writers are versatile fellows. Read everything and anything on your core, competent area.
The aim is to acquire more knowledge to write as an authority, even if you are a school drop-out or a PhD holder. This is the starting point for attracting visitors and ultimately the money.
Roadmap
It is one thing to aspire to become a writer. It is a different ball game to have a clear plan on how to move from where you are to where you want to be a world-class writer.
So, if you want to write content on fashion, engineering, journalism, business, entrepreneurship, and social media, that will sell and bring you money, you must first and foremost have a realistic and workable plan on the ground.
Challenges
You may not agree with me here. Most of the so-called challenges or problems that come to us daily are self-created.
Remember, I say most, not all. Take it or leave it, challenges are necessary for growth.
It is when you overcome challenges that you grow, not by avoiding them. People will try to discourage you when they see that you are trying to break away from the crowd.
Therefore, when n you make up your mind to become a writer, you have got to have this iron-like passion that no discouragement or run-down words from people could break. Great writers today were ones called all sorts of names by their friends, colleagues, family members etc.
Mentorship
Read the works of great writers and become inspired to be like them. But, there is a nag here. Do not at any point in time try to copy your mentor hook, line and sinker.
You must still the suggestions you receive from others to the test and see whether or not they tally with what you have in mind.
The late Dr Sunny Obaze-Ojeagbasi, the publisher of Success Digest, said: do not attempt at any point in time to copy your role model up to the point of losing your identity. He is right here.
Emmanuel Udom, a journalist and private investigator, can be reached at ee****@***oo.com
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) is seeking a reduction in import duty exemptions, which rose to N34 trillion, limiting its ability to increase its revenue generation threshold.
The Comptroller-General of the Customs Service, Mr Adewale Adeniyi, disclosed that the value of import duty exemption certificate approvals increased to that level in 2025, describing the policy as one of the major factors restricting its revenue generation.
At an investigative session of the Senate Committee on Finance with revenue-generating agencies in Abuja on Monday, Mr Adeniyi explained that government fiscal policies have continued to impact the revenue-generating capacity of the Customs Service, both positively and negatively.
“The NCS would have generated significantly higher revenue over the years if not for government-approved import duty waivers and other external factors affecting collections,” he said.
He added that the Import Duty Exemption Certificate scheme, introduced in March 2020, accounted for about N34 trillion in approvals in 2025, with nearly 60 per cent covering duty-free importation of military hardware due to Nigeria’s prevailing security challenges.
Other government-backed duty waivers, he noted, covered the importation of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), electric and hybrid vehicles, healthcare equipment and medical supplies, industrial machinery and manufacturing inputs, as well as food import intervention programmes.
While acknowledging the impact of the waivers on Customs revenue, Mr Adeniyi argued that fiscal policy should not be assessed solely on the basis of revenue generation but also on its broader economic and social objectives.
He, however, urged the federal government to establish stronger monitoring mechanisms to ensure beneficiaries of duty waivers deliver the intended economic outcomes, including lower consumer prices, increased local production and improved healthcare access.
The committee also expressed displeasure over the absence of several heads of government agencies invited to the hearing, including the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Industrial Training Fund (ITF), and the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Jabi.
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, Mr Sani Musa, warned that the affected chief executives must appear at the committee’s next sitting or face severe sanctions under the Senate’s rules.
In the competitive world of online trading, finding a trading brokerage partner that balances reliability, technological innovation, and accessible conditions is essential. Headway broker has emerged as a significant player, currently serving over 4 million users globally.
In this article, we take a detailed look at what makes this broker for trading a notable option for both novice and experienced traders.
Headway Regulatory Foundation and Safety
Safety is the cornerstone of any trading relationship. Headway broker operates under the regulation and licensing of the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA). This regulatory oversight ensures that the broker adheres to strictly defined standards for transparency and operational conduct, providing traders with an added layer of security and confidence when managing their portfolios.
Trading Platforms and Instruments
Efficiency in trading Forex and other markets is driven by the tools at your disposal. Headway provides a robust technological trading ecosystem:
Industry-Standard Platforms: The broker fully supports MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5), the most widely used platforms for technical analysis and automated trading.
Proprietary Mobile App: For traders who prioritize mobility, Headway offers its own custom-built trading app. It is readily available for download on both Google Play and the App Store, allowing for seamless account management and trading on the go.
Diverse Market Access: Traders have a wide range of opportunities with access to over 300 trading instruments, ensuring plenty of choice for different strategies and asset classes.
Trading Account Types Offered by Headway
Headway broker understands that every trader enters the market with a different level of experience:
Three Account Tiers: To ensure inclusivity, the broker offers three distinct types of accounts (Cent, Standard and Pro), tailored to suit different levels of expertise and capital requirements.
Demo Account: For those looking to refine their skills without financial risk, Headway provides a comprehensive demo trading account. This is the perfect environment to practice strategies, understand how the platform works, and gain confidence before transitioning to live trading.
Customer Support and Incentives
Headway supports its user base with comprehensive resources and financial incentives:
24/7 Technical Support: Market fluctuations happen at any time. Headway provides round-the-clock technical support for the traders, ensuring that help is always available whenever a question or issue arises.
150$ No Deposit Bonus: To help new traders get started, Headway offers a $150 no deposit bonus. This is an excellent way to test the broker’s execution speed and trading environment with zero initial risk.
IB Partnership Program: Beyond individual trading, Headway fosters growth through its Introducing Broker (IB) partnership program. This allows partners to build their business and earn commissions by referring new traders to the platform.
Conclusion
With its combination of FSCA regulation, a vast range of instruments, and modern platforms like MT4, MT5, and its own proprietary app, Headway FX broker provides a comprehensive environment for modern traders. Whether you are using the demo account to hone your skills or taking advantage of the 150 no deposit welcome bonus, this broker offers the stability and tools needed for your trading journey.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The NASD Over-the-Counter (OTC) Securities Exchange rose by 0.40 per cent on Monday, July 13, buoyed by buying interest in 11 Plc, Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS) Plc and UBN Property Plc, which offset the profit-taking in Food Concepts Plc, the parent company of Chicken Republic.
11 Plc gained N20.69 to end at N227.64 per share compared with last Friday’s price of N206.95 per share, CSCS Plc grew by N1.83 to N91.48 per unit from N89.65 per unit, and UBN Property Plc added 1 Kobo to sell at N1.81 per share versus N1.80 per share.
On the flip side, Food Concepts Plc depreciated by 24 Kobo to close at N2.45 per unit, in contrast to the preceding session’s N2.69 per unit.
As a result, the market capitalisation increased by N9.2 billion to N2.587 trillion from N2.578 trillion, and the NASD Security Index (NSI) improved by 15.33 points to 4,311.67 points from 4,296.34 points.
Yesterday, the volume of securities traded by investors surged by 615.9 per cent to 9.1 million units from the previous 1.3 million units, and the value of securities rose by 997.1 per cent to N320.4 million from the preceding session’s N29.2 million, while the number of deals decreased by 12.5 per cent to 28 deals from last Friday’s 32 deals.
At the close of trades, Great Nigeria Insurance (GNI) Plc remained the most active stock by value on a year-to-date basis, with 3.4 billion units valued at N8.4 billion, followed by Infrastructure Credit Guarantee (Infracredit) Plc with 2.3 billion units worth N6.5 billion, and CSCS Plc with 73.9 million units exchanged for N5.2 billion.
GNI Plc also closed the session as the most traded stock by volume on a year-to-date basis, with 3.4 billion units sold for N8.4 billion, followed by Infracredit Plc with 2.3 billion units traded for N6.5 billion, and Resourcery Plc with 1.1 billion units transacted for N415.7 million.
