How to send money from the UK to Nigeria

In short

• The naira your recipient gets depends on the exchange rate and the fee together, so compare the naira amount each provider says your recipient will get.
• You can send money from the UK to Nigeria through a UK bank, a money transfer app, or a multicurrency account.
• With a Juicyway GBP account, you keep pounds in your own account and swap them to naira when you want to.
• Juicyway is authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority in the UK and licensed by the Central Bank of Nigeria.
• Your Juicyway app shows the exchange rate and the naira amount before you confirm a swap.

Nigeria is one of the top three destinations for money sent from the UK, in the World Bank's 2021 estimates. People send money from the UK to Nigeria for school fees, rent, business costs, supporting family, or moving their own money between the two countries. This guide explains how a transfer from the UK to Nigeria works and what to check before you send.

What you need to send money to Nigeria

Most providers ask for these details:

• Amount: How much you want to send.
• Recipient's name: Their full name, exactly as it appears on their bank account.
• Account number: Their 10-digit Nigerian account number.
• Bank: The name of their bank.

Nigerian account numbers follow the Nigeria Uniform Bank Account Number (NUBAN) standard, which the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) introduced in 2010. Under that standard, a bank returns a payment that has an invalid account number. Enter the recipient's name exactly as their bank has it, so the details you send match the account.

A provider may also ask what the transfer is for, particularly on larger amounts. Regulated providers ask this as part of their checks.

Ways to send money from the UK to Nigeria

Your UK bank

Banks send international transfers through SWIFT, the network banks use to send payment messages to each other. Your bank sets the exchange rate it gives you and can charge a transfer fee as well, so check both before you confirm. Ask your bank how long a transfer to Nigeria takes before you send.

Money transfer apps

Money transfer apps are built for sending money abroad, and providers make their money in different ways. Some charge a fee and give you a rate close to the market rate. Others don't charge a fee but take a margin in the exchange rate. Neither model costs less every time, so compare the naira your recipient gets once the provider has applied both.

When the World Bank priced transfers from the UK to Nigeria in August 2025, most of the app services it checked listed delivery to a bank account in under an hour. A few listed next-day delivery or longer.

Multicurrency accounts

A multicurrency account lets you keep money in more than one currency and swap it when you want to. With a GBP account, you can keep the pounds you pay in from your UK bank and swap them to naira whenever you choose. This is useful when you receive pounds regularly or send money to Nigeria more than once.

What your recipient gets

The exchange rate is how much naira you get for each pound. The naira your recipient gets depends on the transfer fee and the exchange rate margin. The transfer fee is the amount a provider charges you to send money. The exchange rate margin is the difference between the market rate and the rate the provider gives you. Providers are usually compared with the mid-market rate, which is the midpoint between the prices at which banks buy and sell a currency.

When the World Bank checked transfers from the UK to Nigeria in August 2025, the total cost of sending £120 was between under 0.1% and more than 6%, depending on the provider and how the sender paid. The average was about 2%, and the fee made up the larger part of it. The average exchange rate margin was about 0.7%. A provider can show a zero fee and still take a margin in the rate, and a provider that charges a fee can still give your recipient more naira.

On September 11, 2026, the CBN's official rate was about £1 = ₦1,795. Say a provider offered £1 = ₦1,690 that day. Your recipient would get ₦105 less for every pound than at the official rate, which is ₦52,500 less on £500, before any fee. Before you send, compare the naira amount your recipient will get.

What to check before you send

• Exchange rate: Compare the rate your provider offers with the day's market rate. The difference is part of what the transfer costs you.
• Naira amount: Check how much your recipient will get, and choose a provider that shows this amount before you confirm.
• Recipient details: Check that the name matches your recipient's bank account and that the account number has 10 digits.
• Timing: Check how long the provider says the transfer takes, especially when a payment such as school fees is due on a set date.

When to swap your pounds

When you swap at the moment you send, you take that day's exchange rate. With a Juicyway GBP account, you can keep your pounds and swap them to naira when you want to. Rates change from day to day, and they can go down as well as up while you wait. On a £300 swap, a difference of ₦50 per pound changes what your recipient gets by ₦15,000.

How to send money from the UK to Nigeria with Juicyway

Juicyway is an authorised payment institution under the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the UK's financial regulator. The CBN has also granted Juicyway an International Money Transfer Operator (IMTO) licence, which it issues to companies that handle international transfers into Nigeria.

To send money with Juicyway, follow these steps:

1. Open a Juicyway account and verify your identity.
2. Request a USD account, then request a GBP account. In your Juicyway app, open British pounds, tap 'Account details', then tap 'Request account'.
3. Pay pounds into your GBP account from your UK bank, using the account details your Juicyway app shows.
4. Once the pounds are in your GBP account, tap 'Send', enter your recipient's Nigerian bank details, check them, and confirm the transfer. Juicyway converts your pounds to naira as part of the transfer.

To swap whenever you choose, tap 'Convert' before you send, choose pounds to naira, and enter the amount. Your Juicyway app shows the exchange rate and the naira amount before you confirm the swap. Then tap 'Send' to send the naira to your recipient.

Is it safe to send money from the UK to Nigeria?

Using a provider the FCA has authorised lowers your risk, though it doesn't remove every risk.

Sign in only through the provider's official app or website, instead of through a link someone sends you by text or email. Check your recipient's details before you confirm. Keep the transfer reference until your recipient tells you the money has arrived. Don't share your login details or security codes with anyone, including someone who says they work for the provider.

Open a Juicyway account

Key terms

• Exchange rate: How much naira you get for each pound.
• Mid-market rate: The midpoint between the prices at which banks buy and sell a currency.
• Exchange rate margin: The difference between the market rate and the rate a provider gives you.
• Transfer fee: The amount a provider charges you to send money.
• NUBAN: Nigeria Uniform Bank Account Number, the 10-digit account number format that Nigerian banks use.
• SWIFT: The network banks use to send payment messages to each other.
• FCA: The Financial Conduct Authority, the UK's financial regulator.
• IMTO: International Money Transfer Operator, a licence the CBN issues to companies that handle international transfers into Nigeria.

Frequently asked questions

What details do I need to send money to Nigeria?

You need your recipient's bank name and 10-digit account number, plus their full name exactly as it appears on the account.

How long does it take to send money from the UK to Nigeria?

It depends on the provider and how you pay. In the World Bank's August 2025 check of transfers from the UK to Nigeria, most app services listed delivery in under an hour, and a few listed next-day delivery or longer. Check the time your provider gives before you confirm.

What is the cheapest way to send money from the UK to Nigeria?

The provider that costs least differs from one transfer to the next. Compare the naira amount your recipient will get from two or three providers on the transfer you want to make.

How do I get a GBP account on Juicyway?

Open a Juicyway account and verify your identity. Request a USD account first, then request a GBP account. In your Juicyway app, open British pounds, tap 'Account details', then tap 'Request account'.

Do I have to swap pounds to naira before I send?

You can send straight from your GBP account without swapping first, and Juicyway converts your pounds to naira as part of the transfer. You can also tap 'Convert' first to swap at a time you choose.

Can I keep pounds in my GBP account before I swap them?

Yes. You can keep pounds in your GBP account and swap them to naira when you want to. Rates change from day to day, so the naira amount can go up or down while you wait.

What happens if I enter the wrong account details?

Check your recipient's name and account number before you confirm. Under the CBN's account number standard, a Nigerian bank returns a payment that has an invalid account number. To report a mistake, chat with us in your Juicyway app.

Is Juicyway regulated in the UK and Nigeria?

Yes. Juicyway is an authorised payment institution under the FCA in the UK, and the CBN has granted Juicyway an IMTO licence in Nigeria.