AI agents for business finance: what they can and can't do
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The short answer
Before you start work for a Nigerian client, agree in writing the fee and its currency, who bears transfer charges, payment dates and deposits, how Nigerian withholding tax is handled, which country's law governs the contract and where disputes go, and who owns the work. Most cross-border payment disputes start with one of these points left vague.
A UK freelancer working for a Lagos agency or an Abuja start-up faces risks a UK-only contract does not cover: the naira can move a long way between invoice and payment, the client may be required to withhold Nigerian tax, banks on both sides can take charges, and chasing a debt across two legal systems is slow. A clear written agreement will not remove those risks, but it settles in advance who carries each one.
Money terms
Fee and currency
State the fee as a figure in one currency, such as pounds or dollars, and say what happens if the client pays in another. If you invoice in naira, add a clause fixing the rate source and the date it is taken, or you carry the exchange risk. See choosing an invoice currency for Nigerian clients for the trade-offs.
Transfer charges
International payments often pass through intermediary banks that deduct fees. Say who pays: the client pays all its own charges and the amount you receive must equal the invoice, or charges are shared. Write the bank details on the contract, not only on the invoice.
Payment dates and deposits
Set a due date (for example 14 or 30 days from invoice) and tie larger projects to a deposit and milestones. Under UK rules, if no date is agreed, a business payment is late 30 days after the invoice is received or the work is delivered, whichever is later (GOV.UK, updated 16 October 2026). Agreeing a date removes the argument.
Withholding tax
Nigerian companies must deduct withholding tax on many payments. Under the 2024 Withholding Regulations, professional and consultancy fees paid to non-residents attract 10%, which PwC describes as a final tax for non-resident companies. The contract should say whether your fee is gross (the client may deduct) or net (the client grosses up), and that the client will send the official WHT receipt so you can claim credit in the UK. See Nigerian WHT on a UK freelancer's invoice.
Legal terms
Governing law and disputes
Choose one law, English law or Nigerian law, and one forum. Neither is automatically better. English law is familiar to you and lets you use the UK late payment rules more easily, but a judgment from an English court still has to be enforced in Nigeria if the client's money and assets are there, which needs Nigerian lawyers. Many cross-border contracts choose arbitration or mediation first. Lagos has the Lagos Multi-Door Courthouse, whose mediation practice direction aims to finish a mediation within 30 days of the mediator's appointment.
Ownership of work
Say when copyright and other rights pass to the client, usually on full payment. In both countries a transfer of copyright must be in writing to work: section 90(3) of the UK's Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 and section 30(3) of Nigeria's Copyright Act 2022. Keeping ownership until you are paid gives you leverage.
Other clauses worth having
- Scope: a list of deliverables and a limit on revision rounds, with a day rate for extra work.
- Late payment: interest at a stated rate, or the statutory rate if UK law governs.
- Suspension: you may pause work if an invoice is overdue.
- Termination: notice period and payment for work done to date.
- Data: if you will handle personal data, who is the controller and what security applies.
- Notices: email addresses that count for formal notices on both sides.
A worked example
Example only. Tunde, a UX designer in London, agrees a £6,000 project with a Lagos fintech. The contract fixes the fee in pounds, a 40% deposit (£2,400) before work starts, and two milestones of £1,800 each, 14 days after invoice. The client pays its own transfer charges. The fee is gross: the client may deduct 10% Nigerian WHT (£600 across the project) and must send the receipts within 30 days of each payment. English law governs, with mediation before court. Copyright passes on final payment.
Variations and sign-off
Scope creep is the quiet cause of many unpaid invoices: the client feels the job is not finished, you feel extra work was added. Say how changes are agreed (by email from a named person is enough), how they are priced, and how long the client has to approve each deliverable before it counts as accepted. A five-working-day sign-off window, after which silence means acceptance, stops a project hanging open for months while the final payment waits.
What to check first
- Is the client a registered company? Ask for its CAC number and check it.
- Who signs, and do they have authority?
- Can the client pay in the currency you chose? Some Nigerian businesses find foreign currency hard to source; ask before you sign.
- Have you kept copies of the signed contract and all emails agreeing changes?
Where Pryme fits
A Pryme Business Account holds pounds, dollars, euros and naira with local details for each, so a client can pay in the currency the contract names. Invoicing records what you billed and when, and verifiable receipts and statements generated with VerifyDoc.ai let the other side confirm a payment record is unaltered. See business multicurrency accounts.
Questions people ask
Should my contract with a Nigerian client be under English or Nigerian law?
Either can work. English law is familiar and suits UK late-payment rules, but enforcing an English judgment against assets in Nigeria needs Nigerian lawyers. Pick one law and one forum, and consider mediation first.
Can a Nigerian client deduct tax from my invoice?
Yes. Nigerian payers deduct withholding tax; the 2024 regulations set 10% on professional fees paid to non-residents. Agree in the contract whether your fee is gross or net and ask for the WHT receipt.
When does copyright pass to my Nigerian client?
When the contract says, and only in writing. Both the UK and Nigerian copyright laws require a written assignment. Many freelancers transfer on full payment.
What if the contract does not say when payment is due?
Under UK rules a business payment is late 30 days after the invoice is received or the work delivered, whichever is later. A stated date is clearer.
Sources
- GOV.UK: Late commercial payments, when a payment becomes late (updated 16 Oct 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
- PwC Nigeria: highlights of the Deduction of Tax at Source (Withholding) Regulations 2024 · accessed Oct 2026
- PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries: Nigeria, withholding taxes (reviewed 29 May 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
- legislation.gov.uk: Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, section 90 · accessed Oct 2026
- Mondaq (Esher & Makarios): assignment of intellectual property rights in Nigeria (24 Sep 2024) · accessed Oct 2026
- Lagos Multi-Door Courthouse Practice Directions on Mediation (NigeriaLII) · accessed Oct 2026
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