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The short answer
In the Cleva app, choose to convert from your USD balance, check the naira rate shown, select or add your Nigerian bank account and confirm. Cleva's March 2026 blog said it adds no conversion markup and charges nothing for naira payouts. Its terms (12 October 2026) say payout times are estimates only and that it will notify you if a transaction cannot be processed after 24 hours.
Getting dollars into Cleva is half the job. The other half is turning them into naira you can spend, at a rate you are content with, in an account in your own name. This guide covers the steps, what Cleva says about cost and time, and what to do when a payout is slow.
Steps to withdraw to your Nigerian bank
- Open the Cleva app and go to your USD balance.
- Choose the option to convert or send to a Nigerian bank. The labels in the app may change with updates.
- Enter the dollar amount or the naira amount you want to receive.
- Read the rate on the screen and the naira figure it produces. This is the moment to compare it with a reference rate.
- Select a saved bank account or add a new one. The account name should match your Cleva name.
- Confirm with your PIN or other security step.
- Keep the confirmation screen or receipt until the money shows in your bank.
What it costs
Cleva's blog of 18 March 2026 said it charges no markup on conversion and no fee for withdrawing naira to a Nigerian bank. That leaves the exchange rate as the main cost. The rate is time-sensitive, so this guide does not quote one; the app shows the live figure before you confirm.
Worked example (illustrative figures only)
You hold $750 and the app quotes, for this example, ₦1,470 per dollar. You would receive $750 × ₦1,470 = ₦1,102,500. If you waited and the quote moved to ₦1,450, the same $750 would give ₦1,087,500, which is ₦15,000 less. If it moved to ₦1,490, you would get ₦1,117,500, ₦15,000 more. Nobody can tell you which way it will go; our guide on converting now or waiting sets out a calm way to decide.
How long it takes
Cleva's terms of service, updated 12 October 2026, say processing and settlement times are estimates only and depend on the payout method, the receiving institution and compliance reviews (section 8.6), and that displayed estimates are for guidance (section 8.7). Section 7.8 says that if a transaction cannot be processed, Cleva will notify you after 24 hours. In practice:
- Check the estimate the app shows at the time you confirm.
- A first payout to a new bank account is more likely to be checked than a repeat payout.
- A payout that differs sharply from your usual pattern can trigger a review.
- Weekends and Nigerian public holidays can slow the receiving bank's side.
If the money has not arrived
- Check the transaction status in Cleva. If it shows completed, ask your bank to trace it using the reference on the receipt.
- If it shows pending, wait until the app's estimate has passed before chasing.
- Contact Cleva through the help centre or contact@getcleva.com with the transaction reference, amount, date and your bank details.
- If funds were sent to a wrong account number you entered, say so at once; recovery depends on the receiving bank.
Adding a bank account correctly
Most failed payouts start with the destination details. Before you save a bank account in Cleva, check these points:
- The account is in your own name. A payout to someone else's account can look like a third-party transfer and invite a review.
- The ten-digit NUBAN is correct. Read it back from your bank app rather than from memory.
- The bank name chosen in the list matches the account. Banks that have merged or renamed may appear under their new name, so check what your own bank app now calls it.
- The account is active and not restricted for missing BVN or NIN details; a restricted account can reject incoming credits.
If your bank returns a payment, the funds normally go back to the sender's side first. Ask Cleva how a returned payout is credited and whether the rate is recalculated, because the naira value may change in the meantime.
Should you convert everything?
Not necessarily. Many people paid in dollars convert only what they need for the month and hold the rest. That is a budgeting choice rather than a rule; see budgeting when you earn in dollars and spend in naira. If you need cash dollars instead, Cleva payouts are in naira, so that is a separate route through a domiciliary account.
Where Pryme fits
In a Pryme account dollars and naira sit in one place, so a conversion is a move between your own balances. Swap shows the rate first and the fee on its own line, and you approve before anything moves. You can then send naira to any Nigerian bank.
Questions people ask
How do I withdraw money from Cleva to my bank account?
Convert from your USD balance in the app, check the rate, choose your Nigerian bank account and confirm with your PIN.
Does Cleva charge for naira withdrawals?
Cleva's 18 March 2026 blog said payouts to Nigerian banks carry no charge and conversion has no markup. Confirm on the app screen before you send.
How long does Cleva take to pay into a Nigerian bank?
Cleva's terms call payout times estimates that depend on the method, the receiving bank and checks. It says it will notify you if a payout cannot be processed after 24 hours.
Can I withdraw dollars cash from Cleva in Nigeria?
Cleva pays out to Nigerian banks in naira. For cash dollars you would need a domiciliary account route.
Sources
- Cleva blog: Cleva vs Grey vs Raenest (18 Mar 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
- Cleva Terms of Service (updated 12 Oct 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
- Cleva: Frequently asked questions · 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.