AI agents for business finance: what they can and can't do
What AI agents can do in bookkeeping, close, collections and compliance today, where a person must stay in charge, and how to judge a product.
The short answer
The client can pay naira into a Nigerian account in your name, pay dollars from a Nigerian domiciliary account, use a cross-border payment app, or pay through a payment gateway you use in Ghana. What changes between them is who converts the naira, at what margin, and what documents the client's bank asks for, so agree the route and currency in your contract before you start.
Decide the route before the first invoice
A Nigerian client paying a freelancer in Accra has to move money across a border and, usually, across a currency. Most payment disputes in this set-up are not about the amount but about the route: the client sends naira when you expected dollars, or a bank holds a transfer for documents nobody prepared. Agree the route, the currency and who pays the charges in your contract. Our guide to what a freelance contract should include has the clauses.
The four routes
| Route | Who converts | Main point to watch |
|---|---|---|
| Naira to your Nigerian account | You, later, when you move it | You carry the naira risk until you convert |
| Dollars from the client's domiciliary account | Nobody, if it lands in a USD account | Bank documents for paying for services abroad |
| Cross-border payment app | The app, at its own rate | Compare the amount that arrives, not the fee |
| Payment gateway or link from your Ghana business | The gateway or your bank | Gateway eligibility and settlement currency |
1. Naira into a Nigerian account in your name
This is the simplest for the client: an ordinary local transfer. It suits clients who only hold naira. The catch is that you then need to move the money to Ghana or convert it, and you bear any fall in the naira between the invoice date and the day you convert. If you keep a Nigerian account active for this, our guide to keeping a naira account active from Ghana covers what banks expect.
2. Dollars from the client's domiciliary account
A client with dollars can send them abroad. The CBN's 2026 foreign exchange manual, as reported in June 2026, lets domiciliary account holders make telegraphic transfers of up to US$10,000 a day. A business paying for services abroad is usually asked by its bank for supporting documents; one Nigerian bank's list for contract service fees includes Form A, the service agreement, the invoice and evidence of tax paid on the amount. Form A has been an online declaration on the CBN's trade monitoring system since November 2021, with a ₦5,000 fee per declaration reported at the time. Give the client a clear contract and invoice so the bank does not stall.
3. Cross-border payment apps
Several apps move money between Nigeria and Ghana. Flutterwave's Send App, for example, lists both Nigeria and Ghana among its sending countries and pays out to bank accounts and mobile money. Each app sets its own rate, fee and limits, which it shows before the transfer. The number that matters is the cedis or dollars that arrive for each naira sent.
4. A payment gateway from your Ghana business
If you trade through a registered Ghanaian business, a gateway can let the client pay by card or transfer. Paystack, for example, says its services are available to businesses registered in Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa and Kenya. Check which currencies your Ghana account can accept and settle in before you send a payment link.
Where the conversion happens, and what it costs
Every route converts somewhere. The cost has two parts: any visible fee, and the margin between the rate used and the mid-market rate. A route with no fee can still cost more if its rate is weaker.
Withholding tax on the invoice
A Nigerian company paying a non-resident for professional or consultancy services may deduct withholding tax before paying you. Under the 2024 WHT regulations, the rate for non-residents on those fees is 10%, according to a Mondaq overview. Agree in the contract whether your fee is gross or net of that deduction. Our full guide is will my Nigerian client deduct withholding tax.
What to check first
- Which currency the client actually holds.
- Which route you will use, written into the contract.
- Who pays transfer charges at each end.
- What documents the client's bank will want, and that your invoice matches the contract.
- Whether withholding tax will be deducted.
Where Pryme fits
A Pryme Business Account can be opened from Ghana and holds NGN, USD, GBP and EUR with local account details for each, so a Nigerian client can pay you naira by local transfer and the money stays in naira until you choose to convert with Swap. The app shows the rate and the fee before you approve. You can raise the invoice itself with Invoicing.
Questions people ask
Can a Nigerian company pay me in dollars in Ghana?
Yes, from a domiciliary account by international transfer. Reports of the CBN 2026 FX manual say dom holders can transfer up to US$10,000 a day, and the bank may ask for documents.
What is the cheapest way to receive money from Nigeria in Ghana?
There is no single answer. Compare the amount that arrives in cedis or dollars on each route, which reflects both the fee and the exchange rate margin.
Will my client's bank ask for documents?
For paying for services abroad, banks commonly ask for Form A, the contract, the invoice and evidence of tax paid.
Should I keep a Nigerian bank account for client payments?
It makes local naira payments easy for clients, but you carry the naira exchange rate risk until you convert.
Sources
- TheCable: CBN Foreign Exchange Manual 2026 (3 Jun 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
- TheCable: CBN automates Form A for invisible transactions (30 Nov 2021) · accessed Oct 2026
- Send App by Flutterwave · accessed Oct 2026
- Paystack Support: countries where Paystack is available (edited 15 Sep 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
- Mondaq: An overview of the Nigerian Withholding Tax Regulations of 2024 · 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.