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The short answer
A receiver in Nigeria cannot reverse an international transfer themselves once it is credited; only the sender's provider can ask for a recall, and that needs the receiving bank's cooperation and the money still in the account. The receiver can send money back, but naira cannot simply be transferred to Canada: it has to be converted and sent through a bank channel, and money transfer operators in Nigeria do not offer outbound transfers. Returned money usually arrives less fees and exchange differences.
Reversal, recall and sending back are different things
- Reversal
- The original payment is undone by the banks before or as it is credited, for example because the account is closed or restricted. The receiver does not trigger it.
- Recall
- You, the sender, ask your provider to retrieve a completed payment. The receiving bank has to agree, and usually the receiver too.
- Sending back
- The receiver makes a new payment to you. It is a fresh transaction with its own rules, rates and fees.
In Nigeria a receiver can ask their bank to return a domestic transfer received in error, and the Ledger explains what to do if someone sent money to your account by mistake. For a payment that came from Canada, the bank will usually route the request back to the sending side rather than reverse it on its own.
How a recall works
You start a recall with whoever you paid: the app or your Canadian bank. LemFi's help centre describes the general picture well: authorised and completed transfers generally cannot be recalled; support may try within minutes of authorisation, but success is not assured; a recall needs the recipient bank's approval and the funds still being in the account; and the final outcome can take at least eight weeks. Other providers set their own rules, so check yours.
For a Canadian bank wire, give your bank the payment's UETR, the 36-character reference every Swift payment carries, and ask it to send a recall request. See what your Swift confirmation shows and cancelling a transfer before it lands.
Can the receiver send it back?
Yes, but not as easily as you sent it. The CBN's rules make outbound money from Nigeria a different matter from inbound remittances:
- Remittance apps are one-way. TheCable's report of the CBN's January 2024 IMTO circular and Techeconomy's report of the 2026 circular both say international money transfer operators in Nigeria do not offer outbound transfers. The receiver cannot simply "reply" through the same service.
- From a domiciliary account. If the money arrived in dollars, the receiver can wire it back. Mondaq's summary of the CBN's 2026 FX Manual says holders of self-funded domiciliary accounts can make telegraphic transfers of up to USD 10,000 a day without Form A.
- From a naira account. The receiver would have to buy foreign currency first, through a channel such as an authorised dealer bank, which is slower and may need documents.
What arrives back in Canada
Whichever way it returns, expect less than you sent. Ecobank's Rapidtransfer page, for example, says a reversal returns the principal only and that a foreign-exchange loss is possible. Nationwide's international payments page, a UK bank, says the same of rejected payments: they may come back for less because of exchange and charges. Canadian banks follow the same mechanics: money that left as USD comes back as USD and is converted to CAD at your bank's rate on the day.
Worked example (illustrative figures only)
Example: you sent CAD 1,000 by wire, converted to USD 720. It is returned. An intermediary deducts USD 15 and USD 705 reaches your bank, which converts it to CAD at its buying rate. If your bank's buying rate that day were CAD 1.36 per USD, you would receive CAD 958.80, and the original wire fee is not refunded. The rates here are examples, not real figures; your statement shows the actual ones.
Steps if you want money back
- Contact your provider or bank first, at once, with the transfer reference or UETR.
- Ask the receiver to tell their bank they agree to return the funds; a recall moves faster with the receiver's consent.
- If the receiver is sending it back, agree the route: a USD wire from a domiciliary account is usually the cleanest.
- Keep every message and receipt. If your Canadian bank does not resolve a complaint, OBSI can review it once the bank has had 56 days without a final response.
- If you were tricked into sending, report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre as well as your bank.
More on related problems: sending to the wrong account.
Preventing the need for a reversal
Most reversal requests come from three mistakes: a wrong account number, a wrong receiver, or a payment sent twice. Each is cheaper to prevent than to undo. Check the ten-digit account number and name against a screenshot from the receiver, send a small first payment to any new receiver, and never resend a payment until the first has been confirmed as failed or refunded.
Where Pryme fits
A Pryme account holds NGN and USD with local details for each, so a family member who needs to return dollars can keep them as dollars rather than converting twice. When you send from Pryme the app shows the rate and the fee before you approve, which is the best time to catch a mistake.
Questions people ask
Can the person who received my transfer reverse it?
No. Once an international transfer is credited, only the sender's provider can ask for a recall, and the receiving bank must agree and the money must still be there.
Can my brother in Lagos send the money back to my Canadian account?
Yes, but not through a remittance app, because Nigerian money transfer operators do not offer outbound transfers. From a dollar domiciliary account he can wire it back; from naira he would first have to buy foreign currency through a bank.
How long does a recall take?
It varies by provider. LemFi's help centre says a recall's final outcome can take at least eight weeks. Ask your own provider for its timeline.
Will I get the full amount back?
Rarely. Fees are not usually refunded and the money is converted back at the rate on the day, so expect less than you sent.
Sources
- LemFi Help: Can I cancel or recall a transfer? (undated) · accessed Oct 2026
- Swift: What is a UETR? (undated page) · accessed Oct 2026
- TheCable: Banks to pay IMTO dollar transactions in naira after CBN directive (13 Feb 2024) · accessed Oct 2026
- Techeconomy: What the CBN naira-only remittance policy means (28 Mar 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
- Mondaq: Key regulatory update, the CBN Foreign Exchange Manual 2026 (24 Jun 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
- Ecobank Nigeria: Rapidtransfer (undated page) · 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.