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The short answer
Use the Nigerian bank's head-office SWIFT/BIC code, 8 or 11 characters with NG in positions five and six (GTBank's is GTBINGLA), plus the recipient's 10-digit account number. You do not need a branch code: not every branch has a SWIFT code and the head-office code is the one normally used. Take the code from the bank's own FX inflow instructions, not from a random list.
An Italian bonifico extra-SEPA to Nigeria will not go anywhere without the receiving bank's SWIFT code, which Italian forms call the codice BIC or BIC/SWIFT. Getting it wrong is one of the commonest reasons a payment is delayed or returned. The good news is that for a Nigerian bank you normally need only one code, the bank's head-office code, and no branch or sort code at all.
What a SWIFT code is made of
Wise's SWIFT directory describes a SWIFT/BIC as a code of 8 to 11 characters identifying the bank, the country, the city and, optionally, the branch. Take Guaranty Trust Bank as the example:
| Part | In GTBINGLAXXX | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Bank code (4 letters) | GTBI | Guaranty Trust Bank |
| Country code (2 letters) | NG | Nigeria |
| Location code (2 characters) | LA | Lagos |
| Branch code (3 characters, optional) | XXX | Head office |
GTBINGLA (8 characters) and GTBINGLAXXX (11 characters) point to the same head office. GTBank's own FX inflow page gives the code as GTBINGLA. A quick sanity check before you submit: the code must be 8 or 11 characters long, and characters five and six must read NG for a Nigerian bank. A 9- or 10-character code is a typo.
Why you do not need a branch code
Wise's directory notes that not every branch has its own SWIFT code and that payments are usually sent to the head-office code. Wise lists a second GTBank code, GTBINGLAIFP, without saying which unit it serves; a code like that is not something to pick for a personal transfer unless the bank itself tells you to use it. Nigerian accounts are identified by the 10-digit NUBAN, which already tells the bank whose account it is, so the head-office code plus the account number is enough to route the money. There is no Nigerian equivalent of an Italian ABI/CAB to add.
Nigeria also does not use the IBAN. The Swift IBAN page explains that each country that adopts ISO 13616 has its own IBAN format in the IBAN Registry; Nigerian banks give a NUBAN instead. If an Italian form insists on an IBAN field, look for an "account number" or "conto" option for non-IBAN countries. The NUBAN explainer on our Nigeria library covers the number itself.
Where to get the right code
- From the recipient: ask them to request the bank's foreign-currency inflow instructions, sometimes called disposal instructions, from their branch or app. GTBank, for example, says its correspondent bank details are supplied in such an attachment rather than on the page.
- From the bank's own website: many Nigerian banks publish an FX inflow or "receive money from abroad" page with the SWIFT code.
- From a SWIFT directory, only as a cross-check. Third-party lists contain errors; one UK-to-Nigeria guide we reviewed printed a 10-character code for a major bank, which cannot be valid.
The code is not the only detail
For a foreign-currency payment, GTBank lists what the sender must supply: the beneficiary's account number and name as held by the bank, the bank's name, its SWIFT code, the bank's own account number with its correspondent bank, and the correspondent's name or SWIFT code. It also says the sending bank must carry the beneficiary's name and account number in the SWIFT message, and that individual inflows must state a purpose. On an Italian form the correspondent goes in the banca intermediaria field if there is one.
In SWIFT terms, the Nigerian bank is the "account with institution" (field 57 in the MT103 specification) and the correspondent is the "intermediary" (field 56). Supplying the right intermediary can cut the number of banks the payment passes through, which matters for intermediary fees. For the rest of the form, see Nigerian bank details for a transfer from Italy.
Mistakes that send a payment back
- Using the code of a different bank in the same group or a former bank name. Several Nigerian banks have merged or rebranded; take the code from the recipient's current statement or app, not from an old payment you made years ago.
- Pasting a code with a stray space or the letter O in place of zero. Retype it and count the characters.
- Sending a currency the account cannot hold. A euro payment to a naira account will be converted by someone along the chain, at a rate you do not see. If the recipient wants euros, they need a euro domiciliary account and must give you its own account number.
- A beneficiary name that does not match the bank's records. GTBank asks for the name exactly as held by the bank. Nicknames, missing middle names or a business name for a personal account can cause the bank to hold the credit while it asks questions.
- Leaving out the purpose. If your Italian form has a causale field, write something specific, such as "family support" or "school fees", rather than leaving it blank.
If a payment does bounce, the money comes back to your Italian account less any charges taken on the way, and possibly converted twice. That is the expensive way to learn the right code, so spend two minutes checking before you confirm.
Where Pryme fits
If the person you are paying has a Pryme account, they can share the account details shown in the app for the currency you are sending, which avoids guessing at codes. Outside Nigeria, Pryme operates through regulated partners. See multicurrency accounts and sending money.
Questions people ask
What is the BIC code of a Nigerian bank?
It is the bank's 8- or 11-character SWIFT code, with NG in positions five and six. GTBank's, for example, is GTBINGLA (GTBINGLAXXX in 11-character form). Get it from the bank's own FX inflow instructions.
Do I need a branch code to send money to Nigeria from Italy?
No. Use the head-office SWIFT code and the recipient's 10-digit account number. Not every Nigerian branch has its own SWIFT code.
Does Nigeria have an IBAN?
No. Nigerian banks use the 10-digit NUBAN. Use the account number field for non-IBAN countries on your Italian form.
What is banca intermediaria on a bonifico form?
The correspondent bank through which the Nigerian bank receives that currency. The Nigerian bank's inflow instructions give its name or SWIFT code.
Sources
- Wise: GTBank SWIFT code directory · accessed Oct 2026
- GTBank: Foreign currency inward transfer (FX inflow) · accessed Oct 2026
- Swift: IBAN, International Bank Account Number · accessed Oct 2026
- BNZ: SWIFT MT103 message specification (Standards MT November 2021) · accessed Oct 2026
- NairaCompare: How to send money from the UK to Nigeria via SWIFT (9 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.