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The short answer
Most Nigerian universities bill through a student portal: your sibling logs in, generates an invoice or payment reference (often a Remita RRR), and that reference is what gets paid. From the UK you either pay against that reference where the portal accepts it, or send naira to your sibling and watch them pay it the same day. Before you pay, check whether NELFUND is already covering the institutional fees, because NELFUND pays those directly to the school.
How university fees are billed
Unlike a private primary school with a bank account on an invoice, universities usually do not want money sent to an account number. They want the payment tied to the student's record. The pattern is similar across institutions: the student logs into the portal with their registration number, selects the charge (school charges, acceptance, hostel, departmental dues), and the portal generates a reference. UNIZIK's 2026 hostel guide is a typical example: create an account with the registration number, reserve a bed, generate a Remita RRR, pay it, confirm on the dashboard and print the receipts. Unpaid reservations may be released.
That means your sibling has to start the process. You cannot generate the invoice for them, and a payment made without the right reference may not show on their record.
Check NELFUND first
If your sibling has a student loan from the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, part of the bill may already be paid. Nairametrics reported on 4 October 2026 that NELFUND had paid ₦192.89 billion in institutional fees to 319 institutions and ₦179.73 billion in upkeep allowances directly to students, up to 29 September 2026. It also reported that NELFUND announced in July 2026 a plan to replace direct tuition payments with a token-based system, without a start date. Abia State's advocacy material describes the loan as interest-free, repaid within 10 years starting two years after NYSC.
So ask your sibling directly: has NELFUND paid your fees this session, and what is left? Paying a charge the loan already covers can leave you chasing a refund from a bursary office from 5,000 miles away.
Two ways to pay from the UK
Pay against the reference
Some portals and payment pages accept cards, including foreign cards. If yours does, pay the RRR directly and you get the portal receipt immediately. Check what your UK card issuer charges for a non-sterling payment first.
Send naira, then watch it paid
More often, the simplest route is to send naira to your sibling's account and have them pay the RRR from their banking app or at a bank the same day. To keep it clean:
- Ask your sibling to send you the portal invoice or RRR screen, showing the amount.
- Send exactly that amount, with "school fees" and the session in the reference.
- Ask for the portal receipt as soon as it is paid, ideally the same day.
- Check the dashboard shows the charge as paid, with a screenshot.
For the transfer itself, see sending money to a Nigerian student from the UK.
A worked example (illustrative)
Example only; not any university's actual fees. A sibling in third year at a state university, with no NELFUND loan:
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| School charges for the session | ₦180,000 |
| Hostel accommodation | ₦60,000 |
| Departmental and faculty dues | ₦15,000 |
| Upkeep, ₦50,000 a month for 9 months | ₦450,000 |
| Total for the session | ₦705,000 |
Notice that upkeep is the biggest line, and it is the one with no portal receipt. Agree a monthly amount in advance and send it on a fixed date, rather than responding to requests as they come. For the portal charges, keep the receipts; for upkeep, keep your transfer records.
Agree the terms before the session starts
Paying for a sibling is generous, and it goes better when both of you know the limits. Before the session begins, agree in writing (a message is enough) what you are covering: school charges only, or hostel and upkeep too; whether a resit or an extra year is included; and what happens if the bill rises mid-session. Ask your sibling to tell you portal deadlines as soon as they are published, because late registration often carries its own charge and can lock a student out of exams. If other siblings or parents are sharing the cost, decide who pays which line so that two people do not pay the same RRR, and see pooling money between siblings for a simple way to track it.
Receipts to keep
- Portal receipt for each charge, with the RRR or reference and student name.
- Your transfer confirmation for each payment to your sibling.
- A screenshot of the dashboard showing the session as paid.
Where Pryme fits
From a Pryme Personal Account you can hold naira and send your sibling's upkeep on a set day through Send; the app shows the rate and the fee before you approve when you convert. The Personal Assistant can remind you of the monthly payment, and nothing moves without your approval. Naira deposits are held by a licensed Nigerian microfinance bank, regulated by the CBN and insured by the NDIC up to the applicable limit. Outside Nigeria, Pryme's activities are carried out through regulated partners.
Questions people ask
Can I pay a Nigerian university directly from the UK?
Sometimes, if the payment page accepts foreign cards. Otherwise send naira to the student, who pays the portal reference (often a Remita RRR) and sends you the receipt.
What is an RRR?
A Remita Retrieval Reference generated on the portal for a specific charge. Paying that reference links the payment to the student's record.
Does NELFUND pay fees to the university?
Nairametrics reported in October 2026 that NELFUND pays institutional fees to institutions and upkeep to students, and that a token-based tuition system was announced in July 2026.
What should I keep as proof?
The portal receipt, your transfer confirmation and a dashboard screenshot for each session.
Sources
- UNIZIK Student Affairs: Hostel application process (Apr 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
- Nairametrics: NELFUND student loan disbursements hit N372.62 billion (4 Oct 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
- Abia State Government: NELFUND advocacy (14 Feb 2025) · 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.