Nigeria has no comprehensive income tax treaty with the United States. All US-source income is subject to standard withholding rates. An ITIN ensures your payments are processed correctly.
With the naira losing significant value, every dollar earned from US platforms matters. An ITIN unlocks full access to US payment platforms and protects your earnings.
Nigerian Writers Are in Global Demand
Nigerian writers bring distinctive voices, cultural perspectives, and strong technical skills to global content markets. From SEO blog posts to long-form journalism, ghostwriting to fiction, Nigerian writers earn competitive USD rates from US clients, publishers, and content platforms.
As a Nigerian writer earning from US sources, an ITIN ensures you receive your full payment without withholding and properly handle tax documentation from platforms that report to the IRS.
US Income Sources for Nigerian Writers
- Content mills and agencies — Verblio, WriterAccess, Textbroker pay per word in USD
- Medium Partner Program — earnings from reader engagement; requires US payment setup
- Substack — paid newsletter subscriptions processed via Stripe; requires tax form
- Amazon KDP — ebook and paperback royalties; W-8BEN required
- US publishers and magazines — per-article fees or advance payments
- Ghostwriting — $0.10–$0.50/word or flat project fees from US clients
- Copywriting — web copy, email sequences, sales pages for US businesses
The Medium Partner Program and ITIN
Medium pays writers through Stripe. To receive earnings, you must set up a Stripe account — which requires a US bank account (Mercury + US LLC) or a Stripe account in a supported country. Nigerian writers use the US LLC path to access full Medium monetization. An ITIN is needed for Form W-8BEN submission to Stripe and Medium.
Ghostwriting: Nigeria's Hidden USD Goldmine
Ghostwriting is one of the highest-paying writing niches for Nigerians. US clients pay $5,000–$50,000 for business books, memoirs, and long-form content. Nigerian writers in Lagos, Abuja, and Ibadan are building six-figure ghostwriting businesses serving US entrepreneurs, executives, and creators.
- Build your portfolio — create sample pieces in your niche; write on Medium or personal blog.
- Get ITIN via ITIN Plus — $99, 8–14 weeks. Submit W-8BEN on content platforms.
- Set up Payoneer or Wise — for receiving USD from US clients.
- Form US LLC for premium clients — invoice directly, receive to Mercury, convert via Wise.
- Use contracts — Bonsai or HelloSign for professional project agreements with US clients.