On this page

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. The cheapest services were close to zero; the dearest, cash paid in at an agent, 9.87%.
  • Canada to Nigeria, CAD 200: 3.15% average. The cheapest was 0.96%, the dearest 4.55% when paid by credit card.

The apps

All the main money transfer apps 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. Apps that show a separate fee and use the mid-market rate charged under 1% on a $1,000 transfer 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

Billed monthly, prices are £20 a month for the Kinship Plan, or monthly totals of £60, £95 or £160 with 1, 2 or 4 visits per month. Relatives in different countries can chip in as one payment. Visits are delivered in Lagos today; ask the team about availability where your relative lives.

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 abroad

Related

Sources

  1. World Bank Remittance Prices Worldwide, US to Nigeria (Aug 2025)
  2. World Bank Remittance Prices Worldwide, Canada to Nigeria (Aug 2025)
  3. Sub-Saharan African immigrants in the US (Migration Policy Institute, Oct 2025)
  4. Black population in Canada by country of birth (Statistics Canada, 2024)
  5. CBN remittance inflows 2025 (Vanguard, May 2026)
  6. A money transfer app's published fee, US to Nigeria (September 2026)
  7. Zelle is domestic only (U.S. Bank)
  8. US remittance transfer tax proposed regulations (IRS, Apr 2026)
  9. FINTRAC electronic funds transfer reporting
  10. CBN naira-only payout rule (WeeTracker, May 2026)

Prices in naira are quoted with their date because they move. Where a figure comes from a commercial provider, the source is described rather than named, and nothing on this page recommends a 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.