# How can I send money to an individual in Nigeria? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 14, 2021, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-send-money-to-an-individual-in-nigeria/932899 "2021-02-14T19:37:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2021, 9:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-send-money-to-an-individual-in-nigeria/932899/21 "2021-02-15T09:36:56Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > the local bank would not pay/convert the transfer into a Naira account and they would not pay out in cash, either converted to NGN or in USD That really does not make sense, in terms of the currency controls and what the CBN is trying to achieve – but banks are like that, and also they move in flock like sheep. However, because it’s not what the CBN wants, it is possible that eventually it may get sorted out. Or not. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2021, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-send-money-to-an-individual-in-nigeria/932899/22 "2021-02-15T12:51:28Z")
Yeah, I think a lot of the problem is caused by the chaos arising from the announcements, and there being generally not a lot of quality information published out to institutions affected, so they’re reacting to what they think is happening, rather than what’s actually happening. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2021, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-send-money-to-an-individual-in-nigeria/932899/23 "2021-02-15T14:34:14Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > It looks like there is a transfer service called TransferGo that will pay the recipient via a credit transaction to their debit card. I’m going to try that (with some small trial amount first). Welp. That failed. I imagine because his bank does not permit the debit card to add funds to the account (except in case of a refund probably) ---
**Author:** ![Chickenwrangler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chickenwrangler/32/91_2.png) [@Chickenwrangler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chickenwrangler)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2021, 10:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-send-money-to-an-individual-in-nigeria/932899/24 "2021-02-16T10:10:41Z")
Could you open another bank account with money just for him and send him your bank card so he can withdraw cash. Works for me whenever I travel. ---
**Author:** ![jjakucyk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3d9bf3/32.png) [@jjakucyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjakucyk)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2021, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-send-money-to-an-individual-in-nigeria/932899/25 "2021-02-16T14:20:25Z")
> [@Melbourne](#): > > Also, does he have a phone? You may be able to arrange a deposit into his phone account – that counts as electronic transfer all the way, and some businesses offer it for some countries. That was my thought too. In many less-developed countries with poor banking systems cell phones are used for money storage and transfer. [Developing Countries' Mobile Money Boom](https://www.businessinsider.com/developing-countries-mobile-money-boom-2016-1) ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2021, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-send-money-to-an-individual-in-nigeria/932899/26 "2021-02-16T14:56:41Z")
Googling, WhatsApp has a money transfer option and it’s widely used in the third world. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2021, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-send-money-to-an-individual-in-nigeria/932899/27 "2021-02-16T16:03:39Z")
Apparently it’s only available in Brazil ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2021, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-send-money-to-an-individual-in-nigeria/932899/28 "2021-02-20T16:28:47Z")
Hey **Mangetout,** how much did Babatunde pay for his charcoal oven? I looked them up online, and I saw machines that were geared for the first-world hobbyist ($100 and up), and not for the type of people who need them to survive. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2021, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-send-money-to-an-individual-in-nigeria/932899/29 "2021-02-20T20:37:07Z")
He paid 16k Naira (which is about $40) - the oven appears to be made from an aluminium storage box - maybe military surplus or something ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2023, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-send-money-to-an-individual-in-nigeria/932899/30 "2023-07-22T14:35:22Z")
@Mangetout I watched your collab with Babatunde yesterday and it reminded me of this thread. Did you ever get this situation sorted out? ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2023, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-send-money-to-an-individual-in-nigeria/932899/31 "2023-07-22T19:38:12Z")
I can send bitcoin via CoinBase. I think officially this is frowned upon by the Central Bank of Nigeria, but it’s a method that at least works in practice. There’s still no easy, officially-legal way to securely transfer money from abroad to honest individuals in Nigeria, unless they have a separate USD or GBP account in which to receive it. Incidentally, this is why all of the scammers there have switched to asking for payment via Steam Wallet or Google Play gift cards (which they can resell for cash somehow). ---
**Author:** ![md-2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9d8465/32.png) [@md-2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md-2000)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2023, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-send-money-to-an-individual-in-nigeria/932899/32 "2023-07-24T14:10:30Z")
Maybe a stupid question, but… What happens if you open a bank account here, get a debit card, and send it to someone overseas? The only problem I had was in Egypt, where the ATM mag-stripe readers would not honour my card, but a Chip-and\_pin reader would. (Obviously mag stripe too easy to fake). Worked in Egypt, Jordan, Tanzania, India, Dubai, etc. not to mention all over Europe. I presume there would be legal implications and the bank might get touchy if they notice, but it should work. Back in the day, it was important to tell the bank you might be travelling so they didn’t wonder about foreign access. Same might work for a credit card but a debit card would be limited to cash on hand. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2023, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-send-money-to-an-individual-in-nigeria/932899/33 "2023-07-24T16:31:21Z")
Is there any reason why you can’t put some notes (bills) in a jiffy bag and post cash to him? ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2023, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-send-money-to-an-individual-in-nigeria/932899/34 "2023-07-24T16:35:26Z")
Are you kidding? The banknotes go between the leaves of a book. I suppose you could then jiffy-bag the book. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2023, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-send-money-to-an-individual-in-nigeria/932899/35 "2023-07-24T18:29:52Z")
It’s a coin toss whether it gets there at all. I’ve tried sending parcels with gifts and books in them and they just went missing. Even when I sent it with end to end tracking, it went missing and the tracking documentation said ‘destroyed at the request of the sender’. ---
**Author:** ![md-2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9d8465/32.png) [@md-2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md-2000)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2023, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-send-money-to-an-individual-in-nigeria/932899/36 "2023-07-25T04:09:33Z")
I don’t imagine the postal workers or customs inspectors are that well paid in third world countries. Helping yourself is likely a perk of the job. Even in Toronto International Airport, apparently lightening luggage was a perk some baggage handlers indulged in. If you work there and find something nice in an envelope, I assume it’s easy to simply check off the tracking slip with “destroyed by request”. If you can think of a clever way to hide something in a parcel, I’m sure the collective postal/customs workers have heard or seen that trick, especially something as simple as hding cash in a book. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-send-money-to-an-individual-in-nigeria/932899.md?page=1)