Supporting family in Nigeria from the US or Canada
Sending $200 from the US to Nigeria cost 2.72% on average in August 2025 and CAD 200 from Canada 3.15%, with the cheapest services near zero; the transfer is the easy part. A Kinship Plan can be supported from either country in the same way as from the UK: the member in Nigeria holds it, and you chip in.
By Kinship · Updated 19 September 2026 · 5 min read · Information, not advice.
The numbers
- About 533,000 Nigerian-born people lived in the United States in 2024, the largest sub-Saharan African group; about 110,000 Black Canadians were born in Nigeria at the 2021 census.
- Nigeria received about $21.8 billion in remittances in 2025 by the Central Bank's count. The World Bank names the US and the UK as the two largest sources.
- US to Nigeria, $200: 2.72% average total cost. Cheapest: WorldRemit bank-to-bank and Walmart2World debit-to-cash near zero, MoneyGram debit-to-cash 0.01%. Dearest: Walmart2World cash at an agent 9.87%, Ria by credit card 6.01%.
- Canada to Nigeria, CAD 200: 3.15% average. Cheapest: Remitly bank-funded 0.96%. Dearest: Ria by credit card 4.55%, Western Union by card 4.22%.
The apps
LemFi, Sendwave, Taptap Send, Remitly, Wise and WorldRemit all serve both corridors. Most advertise no fee to Nigeria and earn on the exchange rate, so compare the naira received for the same dollars on the day rather than the fee. Wise shows its fee and uses the mid-market rate; on a $1,000 transfer it was $7.78 in September 2026. Zelle is domestic only; a Zelle-to-Nigeria arrangement is a private swap, not a remittance product.
The rules
- United States: from 1 January 2026 a 1% federal tax applies to remittances funded with cash, a money order or a cashier's cheque; transfers funded from a bank account or card are outside it. Transfers of $3,000 or more are recorded with the sender's details. There is no sanctions programme against Nigeria; only named individuals are screened.
- Canada: banks and money services businesses report international transfers of CAD 10,000 or more, or several totalling that within 24 hours. The sender does nothing extra.
- Nigeria: since May 2026 transfers are paid out in naira only, at a set market rate. Dollar cash pickup ended in 2024.
Supporting a Kinship Plan from North America
The plan is in the member's name in Nigeria. Supporters anywhere chip in; the sign-up flow takes numbers from 24 countries. Prices are in pounds (Kinship Well from £39 a month, Kinship Visits from £60), which at September 2026 rates is roughly $52 and $80. Several relatives across the US, Canada and the UK can share one plan and see the same updates. Kinship Visits are delivered in Lagos today; Kinship Well works through a hospital network across Nigeria.
Questions people ask
Can I pay in dollars?
Supporter payments are taken in pounds today; your card converts. Ask us if that is a problem and we will tell you honestly what is possible.
Do the US rules affect paying for a plan?
No. Paying Kinship, a UK company, is an ordinary card payment, not a remittance transfer.
Looking after an ageing parent in Nigeria from abroad
If this is your situation, the page below shows how a Kinship Plan applies to it, with prices.
Looking after an ageing parent in Nigeria from abroadRelated
Sources
- World Bank Remittance Prices Worldwide, US to Nigeria (Aug 2025)
- World Bank Remittance Prices Worldwide, Canada to Nigeria (Aug 2025)
- Sub-Saharan African immigrants in the US (Migration Policy Institute, Oct 2025)
- Black population in Canada by country of birth (Statistics Canada, 2024)
- CBN remittance inflows 2025 (Vanguard, May 2026)
- Wise, US to Nigeria
- Zelle is domestic only (U.S. Bank)
- US remittance transfer tax proposed regulations (IRS, Apr 2026)
- FINTRAC electronic funds transfer reporting
- CBN naira-only payout rule (WeeTracker, May 2026)
Prices in naira are quoted with their date because they move. Nothing on this page recommends a named provider.
This page is information, not advice. Kinship wrote it from the sources listed above and checked it on the date shown. It is not medical, legal, financial or insurance advice, and it does not take account of any one person's circumstances. Decisions about treatment belong with the person and their doctor; decisions about money, insurance or immigration with the person and a qualified adviser. Our platform terms apply.