To send money to Nigeria from the UK, first agree where the naira should land: a Nigerian bank account, a mobile money account such as OPay, or cash pickup. Then get quotes for the same pound amount and compare how many naira arrive. Wise pays Nigerian bank accounts; Remitly and WorldRemit also list wallets and cash pickup.
This page has affiliate links to Wise, marked Ad. Fees and exchange rates change every day, so it shows how to compare them instead of quoting them.
Where should the money land in Nigeria?
The delivery method decides which details you need, which services can handle it and how fast the money arrives.
| Where the money lands | What you need from the recipient | Services that list it for Nigeria (checked 27 Oct 2026) | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal bank account (GTBank, Access, Zenith, First Bank, UBA and others) | Full name in English characters, the bank, the 10-digit account number | Wise, Remitly, WorldRemit, Western Union | Wise: usually the same working day after the money is converted |
| OPay, PalmPay, MoniePoint, Kuda or Paga account | The account or phone number and the name exactly as registered in the app, plus the provider | Remitly (all five in its provider list), WorldRemit (OPay and Paga) | WorldRemit: the mobile money account must be fully registered and active |
| A school’s or a business’s bank account | The account name, bank and account number, in writing from the school or business | Wise lists business bank accounts in Nigeria | Wise: up to NGN 95,000,000 per transfer |
| Cash pickup | Ask the provider what the receiver must bring | Remitly, WorldRemit, Western Union | Western Union: a government-issued ID and the MTCN |
Wise’s NGN guide lists bank accounts only. If the person in Nigeria wants the money in a wallet or in cash, pick a service that lists that method.
What do you need from the person in Nigeria?
Ask for the details in writing, copied from their banking or wallet app, not read out over a call. For a bank account, Wise asks for:
- Full name: in English characters only, as it appears on the account.
- Bank code: identifies the recipient’s bank.
- Account number: 10 digits long.
WorldRemit says it always needs the receiver’s full name, mobile number and email address, whatever the delivery method, and the receiver does not need a WorldRemit account. Remitly asks for the recipient’s name, contact details and bank or pickup information; the recipient does not need to sign up with Remitly.
For a new recipient, send a small first transfer, confirm it arrived, then send the rest.
How do you send money from the UK to Nigeria?
- Pick a provider authorised in the UK. Wise, Remitly U.K. (FCA Register No. 1047222) and WorldRemit (FCA registration number 900891) state on their UK pages that the Financial Conduct Authority regulates them. The FCA’s Financial Services Register is the public record of authorised firms, so check the name there before you send.
- Enter the amount in pounds and choose naira. Wise says it uses the mid-market exchange rate and shows its fees upfront; WorldRemit says you always see the final amount, its fees and the exact amount your receiver gets before you pay.
- Choose the delivery method: bank account, mobile money or cash pickup.
- Add the recipient’s details from the list above.
- Pay and keep the reference. WorldRemit accepts a bank transfer or a debit or credit card, and says a card is faster. Western Union gives a Money Transfer Control Number (MTCN) for tracking.
For the average cost of receiving a remittance in Nigeria, measured by the World Bank, see the Freelancer Payment Cost Index.
How do you compare the cost of sending money to Nigeria from the UK?
The cheapest option changes with the amount, the day, the delivery method and the way you pay. A fair comparison:
- Same amount, same delivery method. Enter one pound amount and one delivery method with every provider, at about the same time.
- Compare naira received, not the fee. The amount that arrives includes both the fee and the exchange rate. Western Union’s UK page states that it makes money from currency exchange.
- Check the rate against the mid-market rate. The gap is part of the cost.
- Use the payment method you will really use. Card and bank transfer can be priced differently.
- Set first-transfer offers aside. Remitly’s UK page advertises a welcome rate for new customers on a first transfer, capped at a set amount; for regular monthly support, compare the standard price.
Wise, Remitly, WorldRemit or Western Union: which type of service fits?
| Service | Delivery options listed for Nigeria (checked 27 Oct 2026) | How the price is shown |
|---|---|---|
| Wise | Personal and business bank accounts | Mid-market rate; fees shown upfront |
| Remitly | Bank deposit, cash pickup, mobile wallet | Rates “subject to change”; exact pricing in the app or on the website |
| WorldRemit | Bank transfer, cash pickup, mobile money (OPay, Paga), airtime top-up | Final amount, fees and the amount received shown before you pay |
| Western Union | Bank account, cash pickup; pay online or in cash at UK agent locations | States that it makes money from currency exchange |
| Your UK bank | Ask whether it sends international payments to Nigerian bank accounts | Ask for the fee, the exchange rate and any charges taken before the money reaches Nigeria |
Wallet or cash needed? Pick a service that lists that method. For a bank account, compare at least two services for the same amount.
Can the person in Nigeria receive the money in OPay or another app?
Yes, through services that list wallets for Nigeria. Remitly’s Nigeria page lists bank deposit, cash pickup and mobile wallet, and its provider list includes OPay, PalmPay, MoniePoint, Kuda and Paga. WorldRemit lists OPay and Paga Money as the mobile money accounts it can send to, and says the account must be fully registered and active.
Before you send, ask the recipient to confirm in the app the exact account or phone number and the name the account is registered under. Wise’s NGN guide does not mention wallets, so use Wise for a bank account.
Can the person in Nigeria collect cash?
Remitly, WorldRemit and Western Union list cash pickup for Nigeria. Western Union says it has thousands of agent locations in Nigeria and that the receiver needs a government-issued ID and the unique Money Transfer Control Number (MTCN) to collect the funds. In the UK, Western Union also accepts cash at its agent locations. Wise does not list cash pickup in its NGN guide.
What should you avoid when sending money to Nigeria?
- A different spelling of the name. Wise asks for the full name in English characters only; use the name exactly as the bank or app shows it.
- Retyped account numbers. Wise asks for a 10-digit account number. Copy it from the recipient’s app, and send a small first transfer to a new recipient.
- An inactive wallet. WorldRemit says a mobile money account must be fully registered and active to receive money.
- Unknown “agents” offering a better rate on WhatsApp. The FCA says nearly all financial service activities in the UK must be authorised or registered by it. If a name is not on the FCA Register, do not send money through it.
- Comparing only the fee. Two services with the same fee can deliver different amounts of naira because of the exchange rate.
- Losing the reference. Keep the transfer reference or MTCN until the recipient confirms the money arrived. Wise notes that the Nigerian interbank system (NIBSS) can take up to 24 hours to confirm a payment’s status.
What is the next step?
Ask the person in Nigeria which method they want (bank account, wallet or cash), collect the details in writing, then get a quote from two services for the same pound amount and send with whichever delivers more naira that day.
Earn From Nigeria Editorial. Sources: Wise Help Centre and Wise UK pages; the Nigeria pages of Remitly UK, WorldRemit and Western Union UK; and the FCA’s Financial Services Register page, checked on 27 October 2026.