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The short answer
Yes: a Nigerian domiciliary account designated in pounds can receive sterling directly by SWIFT bank transfer, and the pounds stay pounds. You need the account holder's name and address, the 10-digit number of the GBP account, and the Nigerian bank's SWIFT/BIC and address, ideally from the bank's own instruction sheet. Remittance apps pay Nigerian recipients in naira, so use your bank's international payment. Lloyds, for example, says payments to other countries take no longer than five working days.
If you earn in pounds and plan to spend in pounds later, perhaps on a child's UK fees or a future trip, converting to naira and back loses money twice. A GBP dom account at a Nigerian bank lets you keep sterling at home. Here is what it takes to fund one from the UK.
Does a GBP dom account accept pounds directly?
Yes, if the account is designated in pounds. Nigerian banks offer dom accounts in several currencies as separate accounts; Access Bank's domiciliary FAQ, for instance, describes foreign currency current accounts in pounds, euros, dollars and others. Confirm the account's currency before you send. Pounds paid to a dollar dom account may be converted at the bank's rate, or returned.
Remittance apps are not the route. The CBN's January 2024 IMTO Guidelines, as summarised by Udo Udoma & Belo-Osagie in March 2026, require licensed money transfer operators to pay customers only in naira. Pounds reach a GBP dom account by bank wire.
The details your UK bank needs
Lloyds' guidance on international payments lists, for countries outside Europe, the recipient's name and address, the account number (or IBAN where the country uses one), the SWIFT/BIC, the bank's name and address, a clearing code where relevant, and a reason for payment. For Nigeria that means:
- Name exactly as on the Nigerian account, and address.
- The 10-digit GBP dom account number (not an IBAN; see this guide).
- The Nigerian bank's SWIFT/BIC and branch address.
- Any sterling correspondent details the Nigerian bank's instruction sheet gives.
- A clear purpose, such as "own savings".
What it costs: one bank's published charges
| Lloyds, as checked Oct 2026 | Detail |
|---|---|
| Fee | £9.50 for non-euro international payments (shared charges online and in the app) |
| Full-amount option | Branch or phone only: £9.50 plus a correspondent fee of £20 for rest-of-world countries |
| Exchange margin | Only if converting; 3.55% up to £10,000, falling to 1.50% from £250,000 |
| Limits | £100,000 a day in app or online; £10,000 by phone; no maximum in branch |
| Timing | Other countries no longer than 5 working days; cut-off 3pm |
Other UK banks publish their own schedules. With shared charges, an intermediary bank and the Nigerian bank may take fees from the amount, so less than you sent can arrive. For how those deductions work, see intermediary bank fees.
How long it takes and how to chase it
Lloyds says payments to other countries take no longer than five working days. If the Nigerian bank says nothing has arrived, ask your UK bank for the MT103, the SWIFT confirmation with the reference the Nigerian bank can trace; see what an MT103 is. Delays usually come from a missing address, a name mismatch, or a payment sent to the wrong currency account.
Common reasons a sterling wire goes wrong
- Wrong currency account. The number given is the holder's naira or dollar account, not the GBP one.
- Missing address. Many banks reject or delay international payments without the recipient's address.
- Name mismatch. A nickname, missing middle name or a married name the Nigerian bank does not hold.
- Outdated instructions. SWIFT codes and correspondent details copied from old forms or third-party lists. Ask the Nigerian bank for its current instruction sheet before each large payment.
- Purpose unclear. A blank or vague reason can lead to questions on either side.
Using the money later
The CBN's foreign exchange manual effective June 2026, as reported by TheNigeriaLawyer, gives ordinary dom holders "unfettered and unrestricted access" to their balances and removes the Form A requirement for remittances from ordinary dom accounts. For getting money back out while you live abroad, see withdrawing from a dom account while abroad.
Worked example
Example only. Tobi in Birmingham sends £3,000 from Lloyds online to his GBP dom account in Abuja, choosing to send in pounds with shared charges. He pays the £9.50 fee, so £3,009.50 leaves his account. An intermediary deducts a charge, and £2,985 is credited four working days later. Because no conversion took place, no exchange margin applied. He keeps the MT103 and the Nigerian bank's credit advice together.
Where Pryme fits
A Pryme Personal Account can be opened from any country and holds GBP with local account details, alongside NGN, USD and EUR. Pounds stay pounds until you choose to convert with Swap, which shows the rate and fee before you approve. For some people that does the job a GBP dom account would, without a SWIFT transfer; see the euro version of this guide for the same steps in euros.
Questions people ask
Can I send pounds directly to a Nigerian domiciliary account?
Yes, if the account is designated in pounds. Send by SWIFT from your bank and choose GBP as the currency received.
Can I use a remittance app to send pounds to a GBP dom account?
Generally no. CBN-licensed money transfer operators pay Nigerian recipients in naira only.
How long does a transfer from the UK to a Nigerian dom account take?
Lloyds says payments to other countries take no longer than five working days. Most arrive sooner.
Why did less than I sent arrive in my GBP dom account?
With shared charges, intermediary or receiving banks can deduct fees. Ask your bank for the MT103 to see the route.
Sources
- Lloyds Bank: how to make an international payment · accessed Oct 2026
- Access Bank: domiciliary account FAQ · accessed Oct 2026
- Udo Udoma & Belo-Osagie: CBN directive to IMTOs (Mar 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
- TheNigeriaLawyer: CBN grants dom account holders unrestricted access (2 Jun 2026) · 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.