How to become a remote business development manager from Nigeria
Business development managers open doors: they find companies that could buy from or partner with their employer, start the conversation and push deals or partnerships through to signature. It's one of the more realistic remote jobs for experienced Nigerian salespeople, because a lot of international companies want someone to grow their business in Nigeria and across Africa.
Be clear about what you're signing up for. BD is target-driven, part of your pay is often commission, and roles covering African markets may need travel to Lagos, Nairobi or Johannesburg for meetings and events.
Updated October 2026 by the WorkRemote careers team
- Can it be done remotely?
- Yes, though some Africa-focused roles include travel
- Pay structure
- Usually base plus commission or bonus
- Remote pay seen in ads
- $50K-$65K plus 25% variable (worldwide BDR, 2026)
- Who hires remotely
- Fintech, payments, SaaS, logistics, agencies
- Degree needed?
- Rarely required. A track record of closed deals is
On this page
What a remote business development manager does
BD means different things at different companies, so read each job ad carefully. In some, it's outbound sales: build a list of target companies, reach decision-makers by email, LinkedIn and phone, run discovery calls and close deals. In others, it's partnerships: sign banks, resellers, platforms or integration partners who bring in customers. In Africa-focused roles, it's often both, plus a bit of market research and regulatory homework.
Either way, you'll own a number (pipeline, revenue, signed partners) and your CRM is how your manager sees your work. Remote BD managers spend a lot of time on video calls, LinkedIn and WhatsApp, and the best ones are disciplined about logging every conversation.
A day in the role
- Researching 20 target accounts in LinkedIn Sales Navigator and finding the right decision-makers
- Sending personalised outreach emails and LinkedIn messages
- Running two or three discovery calls with prospects
- Updating deal stages and next steps in Salesforce, HubSpot or Pipedrive
- Preparing a proposal and pricing with the finance or product team
- Following up with a partner bank's compliance team about documentation
- Reporting weekly pipeline and forecast to your manager
Skills you need
Core skills
- Prospecting
Building pipeline from nothing is the most common reason BD managers are hired.
- Discovery and qualification
Asking the right questions early stops you wasting months on deals that will never close.
- Cold outreach writing
Short, specific emails and LinkedIn messages that get replies from busy executives.
- Negotiation
Price, terms, contract length and partner commercials all land on your desk.
- CRM discipline
Remote managers trust what they can see in the CRM. Missing updates look like missing work.
- Partnership structuring
Referral fees, reseller margins and integration deals each need different terms.
- Industry and market knowledge
Knowing how Nigerian banks, merchants or logistics firms buy is often why you're hired.
Soft skills
- Resilience
Most outreach gets no reply. You need to keep going without losing quality.
- Relationship building
Long sales cycles depend on trust built over many conversations, often on video and WhatsApp.
- Honest forecasting
Over-promising pipeline to your manager hurts more than admitting a slow month.
Tools you'll use
LinkedIn Sales Navigator
Core plan US$119.99 a month. Employers usually pay for it.
Salesforce, HubSpot or Pipedrive
CRM for deals, contacts and forecasting.
Apollo or similar contact data tools
Finding work emails and building target lists.
Zoom, Google Meet or Teams
Most meetings with prospects and partners.
WhatsApp Business
How many Nigerian and African business contacts prefer to talk.
DocuSign or PandaDoc
Sending and signing proposals and contracts.
Gong or similar call recording
Reviewing your own calls and sharing them with your manager.
Where to learn
- Inbound Sales certification (opens in a new tab)
HubSpot Academy Free
About three hours on modern sales: prospecting, discovery and closing.
- Sales Hub Software certification (opens in a new tab)
HubSpot Academy Free
Under two hours. Useful if your target employers use HubSpot as their CRM.
- Trailhead (opens in a new tab)
Salesforce Free
Hands-on Salesforce training. Many enterprise BD teams live in Salesforce.
- MEDDICC individual membership (opens in a new tab)
MEDDICC $899 a year
Includes the MEDDPICC masterclass and certification. Worth it for enterprise sales roles, where this qualification method is widely used.
- Partnership Leaders membership (opens in a new tab)
Partnership Leaders From $50 a month, billed annually
A community for partnerships professionals. Better once you're already in a partnerships role.
Career path
How remote business development managers usually move up, with the years it tends to take, and where people move sideways.
- Entry
Business development or sales development representative
0-2
Booking meetings for senior sellers. Some remote BDR roles are open worldwide.
- Mid-level
Business development executive or account executive
2-4
Running your own deals from first call to close.
- Senior
Business development manager
4-7
Owns a territory, segment or partner channel with a revenue target.
- Lead
Head of business development or country manager
7+
Leads market entry or a BD team, often for West Africa or the whole continent.
Sideways moves
Partnerships, account management or affiliate management · 3+
For those who prefer growing existing relationships over cold outreach.
Getting hired from Nigeria
Lead with your numbers. Quota and attainment, average deal size, sales cycle length, pipeline you built and partners you signed. If you've sold for a Nigerian bank, fintech, telco or FMCG company, convert the figures to dollars so a foreign hiring manager understands the scale.
The strongest opportunities are companies that want Nigeria or Africa specifically. In October 2026 we saw remote BD ads on Himalayas for roles such as a Nigeria-based business development manager, a Francophone Africa BD manager and a West Africa sales manager. Global companies hire too: Pressable (part of Automattic) advertised a business development representative role at $50,000 to $65,000 plus variable pay, open to people living anywhere in the world.
Your LinkedIn profile is part of the interview, because BD managers prospect there. Keep it complete, post occasionally about your industry, and make sure your network includes the kind of buyers you'd sell to. Ask early how commission is paid to contractors abroad, and whether the role needs travel, because a valid international passport and visa history may matter.
Pitfalls to avoid
- Giving vague answers about "relationship building" with no numbers. BD interviewers expect quota and deal figures.
- Accepting commission-only roles from unknown companies. Many are a way to get free sales work.
- Not reading the commission plan. Ask what counts as a closed deal, when it's paid and whether there's a cap.
- Letting the CRM slide. Remote managers judge you by what they can see.
- Pitching too early on calls. Discovery first, then connect the product to the problem.
Questions people ask
Can I become a business development manager in Nigeria without a degree?
Yes. BD hiring is about results: deals closed, pipeline built and partners signed. Many successful BD managers came up through sales roles without a relevant degree.
How much does a remote business development manager earn in Nigeria?
Plane estimates a median of about $53,000 a year for remote BD managers in Nigeria, and in 2026 we saw a worldwide entry-level BD role at $50K to $65K plus 25% variable pay. See the salary page for sources.
Is business development the same as sales?
Sometimes. In some companies BD means outbound sales; in others it means partnerships and new markets. The job ad's targets tell you which.
Do remote BD jobs require travel?
Some do, especially roles covering several African countries, where in-person meetings still matter. Global BDR and inside sales roles are usually fully remote.
How is commission paid if I'm a contractor in Nigeria?
Usually monthly or quarterly through the same platform as your base pay, such as Deel or Remote.com. Some companies exclude contractors from commission plans, so check before accepting.
Sources
- HubSpot Academy: Inbound Sales certification (accessed October 2026)
- HubSpot Academy: Sales Hub Software certification (accessed October 2026)
- Salesforce Trailhead (accessed October 2026)
- MEDDICC pricing (accessed October 2026)
- Partnership Leaders membership plans (accessed October 2026)
- LinkedIn Sales Navigator: compare plans (accessed October 2026)
- Pressable: Business Development Representative (Himalayas job ad) (accessed October 2026)
Updated October 2026 by the WorkRemote careers team
Related career guides
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An account executive (AE) runs the sales process from first meeting to signed contract: discovery calls, demos, proposals, negotiation and closing, against a revenue quota. Nigerians do close deals remotely for US, European and African companies, but AE roles rarely hire beginners, and the pay depends heavily on commission.
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