Unbelievable Jobs in Nigeria Part 2: How People Make a Living from Other People’s Misfortune

In Nigeria, some people don’t pray for good things to happen—they actually thrive when things go wrong. While the average person sees accidents, hardship, or tragedy as something sad, these people see opportunity. As crazy as it sounds, there’s a whole economy built around other people’s misfortune, and trust me, it’s bigger than you think.

Some of these hustlers are smart, others are just plain wicked, but at the end of the day, their goal is the same—to make money off someone else’s pain. From fake pastors to funeral contractors, let me introduce you to some of the most shocking ways people make money from suffering in Nigeria.

1. Fake Pastors and Prophets Selling "Miracles" to Desperate People

If you’ve ever been in a tough situation—maybe struggling financially, looking for a job, or dealing with sickness—you’ve probably seen one prophet or pastor claiming to have the solution.

These people don’t waste time! The moment they sense you’re desperate, they will prophesy something vague but scary, then convince you that only their special prayers (and your money) can save you.

• Lost your job? "It’s the enemy from your village. Sow a seed of ₦50,000 and God will fight for you!"
• Sick? "Doctors don’t have the answer, but this ‘miracle oil’ for just ₦10,000 will heal you instantly!"
• Looking for a visa? "Ah! You need to bring a special offering for ‘divine speed’!"

Some of them even pay fake sick people to act healed in church, just to convince the crowd that their prayers work. And before you know it, people are rushing to drop money at their feet.

The sad thing is many of their victims are poor people looking for hope. Instead of real help, they get scammed out of their last savings.

2. Fake Beggars Using Other People’s Pity as Business

In major cities like Lagos and Abuja, you’ll find beggars everywhere. Some are genuinely in need, but many are professional scammers.

There are people who pretend to be disabled, blind, or sick just to get people’s sympathy. Some even rent babies so they can beg as “single mothers”! Yes, you read that right—babies are rented out for begging!

A few years ago, there was a story of a man who pretended to be blind and begged on the streets every day. One day, someone caught him removing his "blind-man disguise" and driving off in a Toyota Camry! The man was literally making a full-time salary from begging.

Some of these fake beggars even work in groups—they have “bosses” who collect a share of their earnings, and they have “strategies” for targeting people who look rich. If you’ve ever had someone knock on your car window crying and begging for money, just know—it might be business, not suffering.

3. Fake Job Agents Scamming Unemployed Nigerian

You see those "Job Vacancy" posters on electric poles that say “Urgent Recruitment! No Experience Needed! Salary: ₦80,000 Monthly”? Run!

Many of these so-called job agents are just scammers looking for unemployed people to exploit. They charge you “registration fees” for fake jobs that don’t exist. After paying, you either:

• Never hear from them again
• Get sent to a useless job like "network marketing" where you must bring 10 people to make money
• Get offered an unrealistic job like “Sales Manager” but first, you must buy the company’s products worth ₦50,000

These scammers target desperate job seekers who will do anything to escape unemployment. Some even fake interviews and training programs, collecting ₦5,000 to ₦20,000 per person. If 100 people fall for the scam, that’s a cool ₦500,000 made in one day! Meanwhile, the victims go home jobless and broke.

4. Ambulance Chasers Making Money from Other People’s Accidents

If you’ve ever seen an accident on a Nigerian road, you might have noticed that some people don’t even look shocked—they look excited. Those are the ambulance chasers.

These guys follow ambulances, hospitals, and even accident scenes looking for ways to profit from tragedy. Their hustle includes:

• Overcharging for ambulance services (they know people are in distress and will pay anything)
• Convincing victims to use “their hospital” (where they secretly get a commission)
• Bribing police officers to release bodies to a funeral home (where they also get a cut)

Instead of helping victims, they turn every accident into a money-making opportunity.

The worst part is some of them even fake sympathy, pretending to be helpful just so they can get something out of the situation.

5. Professional Mourners Getting Paid to Cry at Funerals

Yes, crying is a business in Nigeria. If you ever attend a funeral and see someone rolling on the floor, shouting "Why did you leave us?" even though nobody knows them, don’t be surprised—that’s a hired mourner.

Some families don’t want their funerals to look “dry,” so they pay people to cry and make the event look emotional. There are even groups of professional mourners who specialize in this business.

• Some will scream and faint dramatically
• Some will sing sad songs with deep emotions
• Some will wear black and sob quietly in a corner

Whatever the package, they ensure that the funeral looks more painful than it actually is. And of course, the more they cry, the more money they get.

6. Fake Miracle Healers – Selling Hope to the Sick

Some so-called traditional healers and herbalists claim they can cure any disease—cancer, diabetes, HIV, even "spiritual attacks." And they charge heavily for their "treatments."

These fraudsters target sick people who have lost hope in hospitals, convincing them to ditch real medicine for expensive, useless herbs. Some even go on TV, showing “testimonies” of people they supposedly healed.

The sad part? Some victims stop taking their real medication, believing they are healed—only to get worse. By the time they realize the scam, it’s often too late.

Nigeria Hustle is Real

Nigeria is a country where survival is not easy, and while some people find honest ways to make money, others choose to profit off pain. From fake pastors to professional mourners, the hustle is endless.

The sad truth is many of these scams work because people are desperate. Whether it’s unemployment, sickness, or financial struggles, the victims are usually people looking for hope—and these scammers know exactly how to take advantage of that.

So when next you see someone approaching you with “miracle solutions” to your problems, be careful! In Nigeria, not every helper is truly helping—some are just making money from your misfortune. Stay sharp, and don’t let anyone use your pain to fund their own comfort!