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Virtual Assistant

Support businesses remotely and get paid.

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About this course

Become a reliable virtual assistant — manage inboxes, calendars, and tasks for clients anywhere in the world.

Forget those oyinbo movies showing assistants just fetching coffee. A virtual assistant, or VA, is a remote lifeline for busy business owners, whether they run a big tech company in Lagos or a thriving textile shop in Kano.

Who this course is for

For organised people who want remote work with real clients, often in dollars: graduates, NYSC members, stay-at-home parents, administrative staff and customer-service workers who want to go independent. It assumes you can write clear English and use a phone or laptop; it does not assume any experience with foreign clients.

What you'll learn

By the end you will be able to

Pay, demand and the market in Nigeria

Virtual assistance is one of the most reliable remote incomes available from Nigeria because it needs no capital and rewards reliability over credentials. In 2026 Nigerian VAs charge international clients $4 to $8 an hour when starting and $10 to $20 with a specialism (executive support, e-commerce operations, social media management, bookkeeping), or ₦80,000 to ₦300,000 a month on retainer from Nigerian businesses. Two or three retainer clients is a full-time income. Demand has grown with the rise of solo founders and small agencies who need part-time support, and AI tools have raised what one assistant can handle rather than replaced the role.

Tools and what it costs to start

A laptop (a phone can start but limits you), stable internet, a free Google account, Notion or Trello, Calendly, Zoom, a time tracker such as Toggl, and a payment route — Payoneer, Wise or a domiciliary account — for foreign clients. All are free or have free tiers.

Course syllabus — 11 lessons

  1. What a virtual assistant really does9 min
  2. Tools of the trade14 min
  3. Running someone else's inbox15 min
  4. Calendars, meetings and travel15 min
  5. Documents, spreadsheets and simple reports16 min
  6. Research, customer support and order handling15 min
  7. Social media and content support15 min
  8. Working with clients across time zones12 min
  9. Finding clients and getting paid15 min
  10. Working like a professional15 min
  11. Project: a client onboarding kit45 min

Your project

My Virtual Assistant Onboarding Kit

A Google Drive folder containing: 1) Your welcome email text (as a Google Doc or plain text file). 2) A link to your completed Google Form. 3) Your service agreement outline (as a Google Doc or plain text file). 4) A link to your voice note (uploaded to Drive or a free audio sharing site).

You build a client onboarding kit: a welcome email, an intake form, a service agreement outline and a rate card, packaged in a shared folder. It is graded on clarity and professionalism, because this kit is exactly what you send your first client.

Certificates on Skillnaija are earned, not issued for attendance: you submit this project, it is graded against a rubric, and passing issues a certificate anyone can verify. See the full project brief, rubric and free workbook →

Frequently asked questions

Is Virtual Assistant free?

Yes. Virtual Assistant is completely free on Skillnaija. You need a free account to open the lessons, and there is no charge for the course, the project, or the certificate.

How long does Virtual Assistant take to complete?

7 weeks · ~4 hrs/week. There are 11 lessons, about 3 hours of material in total. You learn at your own pace and your progress is saved.

Do I need any experience to start Virtual Assistant?

Beginner-friendly. You can start from scratch — no prior experience is assumed.

What will I learn in Virtual Assistant?

You will build practical skills in Inbox & calendar management, Tools & automation, Client communication, Time tracking, Inbox and calendar systems, Documents, spreadsheets and reports, Research and customer support, Social media support, Finding clients and getting paid, Contracts, invoicing and professionalism. Every lesson is written for a Nigerian context, with examples drawn from how the work is actually done and paid for here.

Do I get a certificate for Virtual Assistant?

Yes, but it has to be earned. You complete the course project — My Virtual Assistant Onboarding Kit and submit it for grading. Passing the project issues a verifiable certificate; finishing the lessons alone does not.

Do I need a laptop to be a virtual assistant?

A laptop makes most VA work faster and some tasks (spreadsheets, multiple tabs, video calls) impractical on a phone. Many start on a phone for the course and buy a used laptop from the first client payments.

How do Nigerian virtual assistants get paid by foreign clients?

Through platforms (Upwork, Fiverr) that pay out to Payoneer or a bank, or directly via Wise, Payoneer, PayPal-linked services or a domiciliary account. The course walks through setting these up and the fees to expect.

Will AI replace virtual assistants?

AI has changed the job rather than removed it: clients still need a trusted person to own the inbox, chase the decisions and use the tools. VAs who use AI to draft, summarise and schedule are more productive and charge more; the course teaches that stack.

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