Sending money from the United Kingdom to Nigeria: the payments stack
Sending GBP 120 from the United Kingdom to Nigeria cost 1.96% of the amount on average in Q3 2025, across 31 services in the World Bank's Remittance Prices Worldwide survey. Payouts in Nigeria typically run over NIP (NIBSS Instant Payments), CBN RTGS; between now and the end of 2027 there are 8 weekdays when banks in the United Kingdom are closed but Nigeria keeps paying out, so the payout balance has to be funded before them.
| Average cost to send | 1.96% of GBP 120 (Q3 2025, World Bank RPW) source |
| Money transfer operators | 1.9% across 29 services |
| Collect in United Kingdom | Faster Payments, CHAPS, Bacs (Direct Credit and Direct Debit) |
| Pay out in Nigeria | NIP (NIBSS Instant Payments), CBN RTGS |
| Corridor playbook | GBP to NGN: funding and prefunding |
What it costs to send GBP 120
The World Bank surveyed 31 services sending from the United Kingdom to Nigeria from 8 August 2025 to 22 August 2025. The average total cost, fees plus the FX margin, was 1.96% of the amount sent; money transfer operators averaged 1.9%. source
Bank and operator averages are worked out from the survey's provider types.
The send side: the United Kingdom
- Money remittance and the execution of credit transfers and direct debits are payment services under the Payment Services Regulations 2017; a firm providing them must be an authorised payment institution or a small payment institution unless it is already another type of payment service provider or is exempt. Issuing e-money requires authorisation or registration under the Electronic Money Regulations 2011. source
- Initial capital for an authorised payment institution is 20,000 euros for money remittance only, 50,000 euros for payment initiation and 125,000 euros for the services in paragraphs 1(a) to (e) of Schedule 1, such as executing payment transactions (PSRs 2017, Schedule 3). source
- An authorised e-money institution needs initial capital of at least 350,000 euros; a small e-money institution with average outstanding e-money of 500,000 euros or more holds at least 2% of that amount (EMRs 2011, Schedule 2). source
Licences, sponsor banks, collections, ramps and KYC providers: sending from the United Kingdom.
The payout side: Nigeria
| Payout partner | What it does in Nigeria | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Flutterwave · our guide | Transfers API pays out NGN individually or in bulk from a Flutterwave balance to Nigerian bank accounts, and can verify Nigerian bank account details before sending. | source |
| Thunes · our guide | MoMo PSB wallet holders receive international transfers instantly through Thunes' network from markets including the USA, UK, Canada, France, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Israel and South Africa (November 2025). | source |
| TerraPay · our guide | Its network page lists Nigeria among its African receive markets. | source |
| dLocal · our guide | Payouts V3 sends NGN bank transfers for B2C, B2B and P2P flows through Demerge Nigeria Limited, a CBN-licensed Payment Solution Service Provider. | source |
| Fincra | Payout API sends NGN to Nigerian bank accounts, alongside cross-currency payouts and USDT, USDC and cNGN payouts to crypto wallets. | source |
| Onafriq | Its integration with the Yuno platform is live in Nigeria and six other markets, covering disbursements, collections, card issuance and FX treasury services. | source |
| Nairagram | Payout network and API for money transfer operators and payment companies, paying out by bank deposit, mobile wallet and cash pickup across 30+ African countries. | source |
Licensing, local banks, stablecoin ramps, FX and KYC in Nigeria: launching payments in Nigeria.
Payout rails in Nigeria
| Rail | Operator | What matters for payouts | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| NIP (NIBSS Instant Payments) | Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS) | Account-number based real-time interbank transfers, available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, with funds usable by the recipient immediately. All commercial banks, microfinance banks and mobile money operators participate. | source |
| CBN RTGS | Central Bank of Nigeria | Large-value settlement in four sessions with cut-offs at 09:00, 12:00, 15:00 and 18:00, and access for external users on RTGS and S4 until 18:30 since the April 2023 upgrade. | source |
Holiday gaps to plan for, to December 2027
Weekdays when one side of the corridor is closed. On the 8 dates when the United Kingdom is closed and Nigeria is open, the payout balance has to already hold enough to cover them. On the 3 dates when Nigeria is closed, instant rails may still pay out.
| Date | United Kingdom | Nigeria | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 30 Nov 2026 | St Andrew's Day (Scotland only) | Open | Prefund Nigeria the day before: no funding from the United Kingdom, payouts continue |
| Fri 25 Dec 2026 | Christmas Day | Christmas Day | Both closed |
| Mon 28 Dec 2026 | Boxing Day (substitute day) | Boxing Day substitute | Both closed |
| Fri 1 Jan 2027 | New Year's Day | New Year's Day | Both closed |
| Mon 4 Jan 2027 | 2nd January (substitute day, Scotland only) | Open | Prefund Nigeria the day before: no funding from the United Kingdom, payouts continue |
| Tue 9 Mar 2027 | Open | Id el Fitr | Nigeria banks closed: only always-on rails pay out |
| Wed 17 Mar 2027 | St Patrick's Day (Northern Ireland only) | Open | Prefund Nigeria the day before: no funding from the United Kingdom, payouts continue |
| Fri 26 Mar 2027 | Good Friday | Good Friday | Both closed |
| Mon 29 Mar 2027 | Easter Monday | Easter Monday | Both closed |
| Mon 3 May 2027 | Early May bank holiday | Workers' Day substitute | Both closed |
| Mon 31 May 2027 | Spring bank holiday | Open | Prefund Nigeria the day before: no funding from the United Kingdom, payouts continue |
| Mon 14 Jun 2027 | Open | Democracy Day substitute | Nigeria banks closed: only always-on rails pay out |
| Mon 12 Jul 2027 | Battle of the Boyne (Northern Ireland only) | Open | Prefund Nigeria the day before: no funding from the United Kingdom, payouts continue |
| Mon 2 Aug 2027 | Summer bank holiday (Scotland only) | Open | Prefund Nigeria the day before: no funding from the United Kingdom, payouts continue |
| Mon 30 Aug 2027 | Summer bank holiday | Open | Prefund Nigeria the day before: no funding from the United Kingdom, payouts continue |
| Fri 1 Oct 2027 | Open | National Day (Independence Day) | Nigeria banks closed: only always-on rails pay out |
| Tue 30 Nov 2027 | St Andrew's Day (Scotland only) | Open | Prefund Nigeria the day before: no funding from the United Kingdom, payouts continue |
| Mon 27 Dec 2027 | Christmas Day (substitute day) | Christmas substitute | Both closed |
| Tue 28 Dec 2027 | Boxing Day (substitute day) | Boxing Day substitute | Both closed |
Full calendars: United Kingdom and Nigeria. Size the buffer with the corridor runway calculator.
Funding the corridor
- Faster Payments is available to customers 24/7, but net settlement between participants takes place in the Bank of England RTGS system three times each business day. source
- CHAPS does not run on weekends or England and Wales bank holidays, and the customer payment deadline is 17:40, so any same-day sterling funding of an overseas account must be instructed before then. source
- IMTOs are barred from buying foreign exchange in Nigeria's domestic market for settlement, and customer funds meant for remittance must sit in a designated account with the agent Authorised Dealer Bank, separate from the operator's other accounts. source
- A CBN circular of 24 March 2026, effective 1 May 2026, requires every IMTO to open designated naira settlement accounts with Authorised Dealer Banks and run all beneficiary payments and settlements through them. The accounts can be credited only with remittance flows and the proceeds of FX conversions with authorised NFEM participants, and IMTOs can hold several such accounts with different banks. source
- Trades with the CBN window settle the same day only when executed and confirmed before 12 noon on a trading date, and participants file daily returns on the sources of funds. source
Running the corridor
Polynopsis shows every balance on both sides of this corridor in one live position: the collection accounts in United Kingdom, the payout partners and banks in Nigeria and any stablecoin in between. It warns before the Nigeria balance runs dry, holidays included. See how it works.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to send money from the United Kingdom to Nigeria?
The World Bank's survey put the average total cost of sending GBP 120 at 1.96% in Q3 2025, across 31 services. Money transfer operators averaged 1.9%.
Which rails pay out in Nigeria?
Local payouts run over NIP (NIBSS Instant Payments), CBN RTGS.
When do I need to prefund Nigeria payouts ahead of holidays?
Between now and December 2027 there are 8 weekdays when the United Kingdom is closed and Nigeria is open, the first on Mon 30 Nov 2026. The payout balance has to cover those days before they start.
Related corridors
Sources
- World Bank, Remittance Prices Worldwide dataset · World Bank
- UK bank holidays (JSON feed) · GOV.UK
- UK bank holidays · GOV.UK
- Public Holidays Act (Laws of the Federation) · Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC)
- Buhari signs June 12 bill into law · ThisDay
Know where all your money is.
Polynopsis gives cross-border payment teams one live position across every bank, payout partner, exchange and wallet, including money in flight, and warns before a corridor runs dry.