In Partnership With
👋 Hi there! My first encounter with CCHub was at their Lekki facility, during a storytelling masterclass with ISWIS’s Jola Ayeye. What I remember most was how warm everyone was.
Now, CCHub is offering a program that could make a real difference in the lives of creatives: an opportunity to earn from your skills, with benefits like stipends, health insurance, and pensions. Yes, you read that right. Your creative skills could do more than pay the bills; they could give you greater financial security. Read on to find out how to join.
Plus, we speak to a creative who has successfully turned her skills into income and shares lessons you can learn from her journey.
— Shalom Tewobola, Editor
Turn your creative skills into income - GATEWAY PROGRAM
You already have the skill—now it’s time to make money from it. If you’re a creative looking to move from practice to paid opportunities, this is for you. The GATEWAY Program is designed for skilled youths who are ready to strengthen their portfolios, position themselves competitively, and access real earning opportunities in the global gig economy—at no cost. What you gain:
Refine your portfolio to attract real clients
Learn how to position your skills for gigs (international and local)
Access platforms and opportunities to start earning
Get guidance from industry professionals
If you’re eligible, you’ll receive stipends to support your participation
Access financial services such as HMO, pensions, and cross-border payment solutions
Focus areas:
Video Production & Editing
Digital Marketing
Graphic Design
UI/UX Design
How you can participate:
Virtual: Work from anywhere if you have access to a device and internet
Tech Hubs: Use fully equipped hubs across select states for hands-on work and support
This is about turning what you already know into income, and women are given priority.
👉 Visit gateway.cchub.africa (don’t add www) to apply.
Time to start counting the bills. Let’s go!
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How Elizabeth Otutu turned her creative skills into income
Elizabeth Otutu, known online as Bettie.tainment, started Books and Brews on May 6, 2024, in response to a gap she saw in Nigeria’s literary space. In the space of 2 years, she has built communities, organized book festivals, spoken on panels, and more.
In this interview, she shares her biggest piece of advice for creatives looking to monetise their skills: build a community. Being around people who can teach you, support your work, and help you grow can make all the difference.
What creative skill do you work with, and how did you get started? How long have you been developing it?
I work with creative content creation, social media storytelling, and book promotions, starting out simply by sharing my genuine love for literature, pop culture, and creative commentary under Bettietainment. What began as casual video reviews and literary breakdowns quickly grew over the past few years as I leaned into building digital spaces and vibrant offline communities for fellow readers.
At what point did you begin to see your skill as something you could make money from, rather than just something you enjoyed doing?
The shift from doing this purely for fun to seeing it as something viable happened organically when publishers and authors started reaching out to me for targeted book promotions. While I do earn from these promotional partnerships, it is not my main source of income, but rather a rewarding extension of my creative work.
What were the first important steps you took to turn your skill into a source of income, and what was the hardest part of getting people to pay for your work?
The first important steps I took were simply setting up a professional way to manage inquiries and deliver engaging reviews that actually drove conversations around the books. The hardest part wasn't getting people to pay, but rather struggling to finish reading a book under a specific tight timeline. I eventually learned to be upfront with authors, letting them know I have to take my time to digest the work properly, and thankfully, most of them completely understand.
Even now that you earn from your skill, how do you continue to improve and stay relevant?
Even now, staying relevant is entirely about paying attention to the culture, listening closely to what my community wants, experimenting with new content styles, and continuously pushing the envelope with every project I put out.
For someone who has a skill but doesn't know how to start making money from it, what practical first steps would you recommend based on your own experience?
For anyone sitting on a skill and wondering how to monetize it, my biggest piece of advice is to start by building a genuine audience around your work without overthinking the money first. Document your process, share what you love consistently, build trust with your audience, and let your work speak for itself so that opportunities naturally start finding you.
Do you need more info about the CcHub program? Reply to this email.
Do you have a creative friend? Share with them!