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The short answer
Social Security can keep paying you in Nigeria if you are a US citizen, or a Nigerian citizen with 40 US work credits or 10 years of US residence, according to SSA's April 2026 publication; otherwise payments stop after six full months abroad. Because we could not confirm Nigeria has SSA direct deposit, most retirees keep benefits in a US account and send from there.
Retiring after decades of work in the US often means splitting life between two homes: grandchildren in Maryland, a house in Ibadan. The money question is how to get Social Security or pension income to where you spend it, without putting the payments themselves at risk. For Nigeria the answer has two parts: whether SSA will keep paying you while you are there, and how the money then reaches you.
Will Social Security keep paying you in Nigeria?
SSA's publication Your Payments While You Are Outside the United States (Pub. 05-10137, April 2026) sets the rules. As we read it in October 2026:
- Nigeria is not on the list of countries where SSA cannot send payments, nor on its restricted list.
- For people who are not US citizens, Nigeria appears only under one condition: a Nigerian citizen can be paid abroad if they have at least 40 US work credits or have lived in the US for at least 10 years. Dependants and survivors face extra residence rules.
- If no exception applies, payments stop after you have been outside the US for six full calendar months in a row, and restart only after you return for a full calendar month.
- Non-resident non-citizens generally have 30% tax withheld on 85% of their benefit, an effective 25.5%, unless a tax treaty reduces it. The publication's treaty list does not include Nigeria, and the US has no social security agreement with Nigeria.
SSA's online Payments Abroad Screening Tool will tell you whether your payments continue, stop after six months or face country rules. Use it before you move, and keep SSA informed of your address.
How the money reaches you
SSA pays by direct deposit to a foreign bank only in countries that have an international direct deposit arrangement, and the publication lists those online. We could not confirm from SSA's pages that Nigeria is on that list, so for most retirees the practical route is to keep the benefit paid into a US account and send from there. SSA's page for people outside the US also lists changing direct deposit among services not available from abroad, so set the US account up properly before you leave.
| Step | What to do |
|---|---|
| Keep a US account | One in your own name that accepts SSA or pension deposits and that you can manage online from Nigeria. |
| Choose a sending route | A licensed remittance provider funded from that account, or a US bank wire. |
| Receive in Nigeria | Since 1 May 2026, licensed money transfer operators pay Nigerian recipients in naira only, under the CBN's IMTO rules. |
| Keep records | Receipts for each transfer, in case SSA, the IRS or your bank asks. |
Private pensions and 401(k) payments
Private and employer pensions follow the plan's own rules, not SSA's. Ask the plan administrator in writing whether it pays to foreign accounts, what tax it withholds for a non-resident, and what it needs from you each year to keep paying. Many retirees simply have pensions paid into the same US account as Social Security and send one combined amount home each month.
Tell family in Nigeria how the timing works. If a long stay could pause your payments, they should know the monthly amount may change for a period, so they plan around it rather than borrow.
Protecting a fixed income
- Send on a fixed day after the deposit arrives, not before, to avoid overdrafts.
- Compare the naira amount to be delivered, not just the fee. The CFPB rule requires providers to show the fee, rate and amount delivered before you pay.
- Be wary of anyone offering to receive your benefit or manage your account login for you; contact SSA directly about any change to how you are paid.
- Keep the 30-minute cancellation window in mind: the CFPB says you can cancel a remittance free within 30 minutes unless it has been collected.
For regular payments, see setting up recurring transfers to Nigeria. Before moving back, read whether Nigeria taxes income you earn in the US. Tax points here are information, not advice.
Where Pryme fits
A Pryme Personal account can hold USD and NGN in your own name, so you can move dollars from your US account and convert to naira with Swap only when you choose, with the rate shown first. In Nigeria, naira is held by a licensed Nigerian microfinance bank, regulated by the CBN and insured by the NDIC up to the applicable limit. A Personal Assistant can prepare monthly transfers and reminders, but nothing moves without your approval.
Questions people ask
Can I receive Social Security if I move back to Nigeria?
Nigeria is not on SSA's barred or restricted lists, so the country rule there is aimed at non-citizens. Non-citizen Nigerians are paid abroad only if they have 40 US work credits or 10 years of US residence; otherwise payments stop after six full calendar months outside the US.
Can SSA pay directly into my Nigerian bank account?
SSA pays foreign accounts only in countries with an international direct deposit arrangement. We could not confirm Nigeria is one, so most retirees keep payments in a US account and send from there.
How much tax is taken from Social Security for a non-resident Nigerian?
SSA's publication says non-resident non-citizens generally have 30% withheld on 85% of the benefit, which is 25.5%, unless a treaty applies. Nigeria is not on the publication's treaty list.
Can my son in the US manage my Social Security while I live in Nigeria?
Ask SSA directly what arrangements it allows. Do not hand over your account login or let anyone change your payment details for you.
Sources
- SSA: Your Payments While You Are Outside the United States, Pub. 05-10137 (Apr 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
- SSA: Service outside the United States · accessed Oct 2026
- Udo Udoma & Belo-Osagie: CBN directive to IMTOs, Measures to Further Deepen Diaspora Remittances (Mar 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
- CFPB: What is a remittance transfer and what are my rights (reviewed 3 Oct 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.