How to Get the Most Naira for Your Pounds: UK to Nigeria Transfer Rates Compared
The advertised rate is not the whole story - fees change who actually wins. We did the maths on today's live quotes.
· Guide · by NigerianINTEL Research Desk
Wise, Western Union, Revolut and Instarem all pay different rates and charge different fees. On a £1,000 transfer today, the best verified quote pays over ₦45,000 more than the worst. Here is the simple maths.
When you send pounds to Nigeria, two numbers decide what your family receives: the rate and the fee. Providers advertise whichever one looks better. Here are today's real numbers and the simple way to compare them.
Today's verified GBP to NGN rates
| Provider | Rate (₦ per £1) | Fee | £1,000 delivers* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wise | ₦1,807.68 | £6.07 | about ₦1,796,700 |
| Revolut | ₦1,753.20 | £0 | about ₦1,753,200 |
| Western Union | ₦1,754.18 | £2.99 | about ₦1,748,900 |
* Delivered amount = (what you send − fee) × rate. These quotes were live today - rates move, so always check again before you send.
Look at the result: Wise charges the biggest fee (£6.07) but still pays the most naira, because its rate is so much better. On £1,000 that is about ₦43,500 more than Revolut and ₦47,800 more than Western Union - enough for a week of groceries or a month of data.
Five habits that get you more naira
- Ignore the headline rate. Only the "recipient gets" figure counts: (amount − fee) × rate.
- Check the rate minutes before you send. GBP→NGN can move 1-2% in a day - on £1,000 that is ₦18,000 of difference.
- Watch out for first-transfer promo rates. Some apps show a boosted rate for new customers that drops on your second transfer. Compare the repeat rate.
- Send on weekdays. Some providers add a weekend markup - Monday to Friday can be worth 0.5-1% extra.
- Send bigger amounts less often. A flat £6 fee is 0.6% of £1,000 but 6% of £100.
Honest caveats
- These rates were live when we published this guide. They move - our table updates every 4 hours.
- Some providers (Remitly, Lemfi, Sendwave) hide rates inside their apps until you type an amount. We mark those as "being verified" instead of showing you a stale number.
- Speed differs: Wise and Revolut are usually minutes; bank deposits via Western Union can take longer.
How NigerianINTEL solves this
- Real data, not screenshots. We pull quotes straight from Wise, Western Union, Revolut and Instarem's own APIs every 4 hours - the same numbers their calculators use.
- Fees included. Our table shows naira delivered after fees, not just the flattering headline rate.
- Stale rates are labelled, not hidden. Providers we cannot verify recently are marked "Rate being verified" and pushed down the table.
- Promo traps get flagged. Rates that sit far above the fresh median are detected as outliers automatically.
- Rate alerts. Set your target GBP→NGN rate and we tell you when the market hits it.
Check live rates now: today's verified UK to Nigeria transfer table - rates, fees and real delivered amounts, updated every 4 hours.