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The short answer
Generally no. The Canada Revenue Agency's conditions for the Canada Child Benefit require that you live with a child under 18, that you are primarily responsible for the child's care and upbringing, and that you are resident in Canada for tax purposes. If your child lives with grandparents in Nigeria and not with you, the "lives with you" condition is not met on the CRA's own wording, so tell the CRA about the change rather than keep receiving payments.
The conditions, in the CRA's words
The CRA's page on who can apply for the Canada Child Benefit (modified 22 October 2026) lists these conditions. All must be met:
- You live with a child who is under 18 years old.
- You are primarily responsible for the care and upbringing of the child.
- You are a resident of Canada for tax purposes, which the CRA describes as normally living in Canada with significant residential ties, such as a home.
- You or your spouse or common-law partner is a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident, a protected person, a temporary resident who has lived in Canada for the previous 18 months and holds a valid permit in the 19th month, or a person registered or entitled to be registered under the Indian Act.
The benefit belongs to the person who lives with and cares for the child. It is not a payment that follows the child wherever they go, and it is not tied to who pays the school fees.
What this means when the child is in Nigeria
Many families send a young child to grandparents in Lagos, Ibadan or Owerri for a few years, often while parents work long shifts or study. In that arrangement, the child lives with the grandparents, and the grandparents look after day-to-day care. On the CRA's conditions, the parent in Canada does not live with the child, so the first condition fails, and the grandparents, who are not resident in Canada, cannot claim either.
The CRA page does not deal directly with a child living outside Canada or with short absences, such as a summer holiday. A six-week visit to grandparents is a very different fact pattern from a child enrolled in a Nigerian school for a year. If your situation sits between those, contact the CRA and describe the arrangement before deciding.
The custody rules give a sense of the line
The same page explains shared custody. If a child lives with you at least 40 per cent of the time, or roughly equally at two addresses, both carers are treated as having shared custody. Less than 40 per cent, and you are not eligible. A temporary change of custody means the person with temporary custody applies only for that period, and must reapply when the child returns. The page says you must notify the CRA if a shared custody situation changes. These rules are written for carers in Canada, but they show how closely the CRA ties the benefit to where the child actually lives.
Reporting the change
If your child moves to Nigeria, tell the CRA, typically through My Account or by phone, that the child no longer lives with you. Payments made when you were not eligible can be reviewed and may have to be repaid, which is a far bigger problem for a household budget than a stopped payment. Keep records of the dates the child left and returned, such as flight tickets and school enrolment letters.
When the child comes back to live with you, you can apply again. Keep the dates and documents ready.
Before the child travels
If your child is a Nigerian citizen as well as a Canadian, the Government of Canada's Nigeria travel advice (updated 21 October 2026) says dual citizens must enter and leave Nigeria on their Nigerian passport, and that Canadian consular help may be limited. Passports must be valid for at least six months beyond the planned departure from Nigeria. A child travelling with one parent, or with grandparents, may also be asked for a consent letter; see travel consent letters.
A labelled worked example
Example only, with invented amounts. Ngozi in Calgary receives the CCB for her son, aged 6. In September she sends him to live with her mother in Enugu for the school year, returning the following July.
- From September, her son no longer lives with her, so on the CRA's conditions she should report the change.
- Suppose she had kept receiving CAD 600 a month for ten months by mistake. She might later be asked to repay CAD 6,000 in one go.
- From July, when her son lives with her again, she can reapply.
Meanwhile, the cost of keeping him in Nigeria still falls on her. Planning for that cost without the CCB is the realistic budget.
Paying for the child's care in Nigeria
If you are supporting a child with grandparents, a regular amount on a fixed date is easier for everyone than ad hoc requests. Pay school fees directly to the school where you can, and keep receipts; see sending money to Nigeria for a child's school and the money side of schooling a Canada-born child in Nigeria. For summer stays, see sending children to grandparents for the summer.
Where Pryme fits
A Pryme Personal account can be opened from Canada and holds naira. You can send a monthly allowance to the grandparents' account with the rate and fee shown before you approve, and set a Personal Assistant to remind you of each school fee date, preparing the payment for you to approve (assistant). This is information about how the benefit works, not tax advice; the CRA decides eligibility.
Questions people ask
Can I claim the Canada Child Benefit if my child lives with my parents in Nigeria?
On the CRA's conditions, you must live with the child and be primarily responsible for their care. If the child lives with grandparents in Nigeria, those conditions are generally not met. Contact the CRA about your situation.
Does a summer trip to Nigeria stop my CCB?
The CRA page does not address short absences. A holiday is different from the child moving to live elsewhere. If unsure, ask the CRA.
What happens if I keep receiving CCB when my child has moved abroad?
Payments you were not entitled to can be reviewed and may have to be repaid. Report the change when it happens.
Can my parents in Nigeria claim the CCB for my child?
They would need to be resident in Canada for tax purposes, among the other conditions, so grandparents living in Nigeria cannot claim it.
Sources
- Canada Revenue Agency: Canada child benefit, who can apply (modified 22 Oct 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
- Government of Canada: Nigeria travel advice and advisories (updated 21 Oct 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
This article is general information, not financial, legal or tax advice. Products described are provided under the terms on this site and are subject to regulation and eligibility.