Nigeria is the highest recipient of international remittances in Africa, with inflows worth $19.56 billion in 2023 and accounting for around 5.2% of its GDP.
According to a World Bank report, Nigeria accounted for about 35% of the region’s total inflows in the same year. However, this marked a decline from the $20.12 billion received in 2022.
These funds are more than just statistics, they serve as lifelines for millions of households, covering essentials such as food, education, healthcare, and housing. With inflation eroding purchasing power at home, diaspora remittances are becoming even more critical to family survival and small business support.
In 2024, Nairametrics reported that Africa received over $95 billion in remittances, Nigeria continued to rank as a key remittance hub, driven by its diaspora community of over 20 million people with Egypt, and Morocco leading as top recipients
IOM Nigeria’s Chief of Mission, Sharon Dimanche disclosed Nigeria received $20.93 billion in remittances in 2024, an 8.9% increase from the previous year.
Nigeria’s strong performance in remittance inflows has been largely supported by digital remittance apps, which have become the dominant channels for sending money home.
These platforms are preferred for their speed, convenience, competitive exchange rates, and ability to reach both banked and unbanked Nigerians through banking networks and mobile money systems.
“Nairametrics Research drew insights from staff evaluations, user reviews, download data, and expert opinions to inform its findings.”
Here is a list of the top 10 remittance apps Nigerians use in 2025:
LemFi operates across more than 30 countries, enabling remittances from the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, and several European countries including France, Germany, Spain, Belgium, Italy, Ireland, Portugal, and the Netherlands. Transfers can be sent to destinations such as Pakistan, India, Nigeria, Ghana, China, Uganda, Kenya, Senegal, Brazil, Tanzania, Côte d’Ivoire, Cameroon, Benin, Rwanda, Ethiopia, and others.
The platform also functions as a multi-currency wallet, allowing users to hold and exchange funds in major currencies such as Euros, British Pounds Sterling, Canadian Dollars, and United States Dollars.
According to details on the LemFi app, sending $100 to Nigeria currently gives recipients N153,400, at an exchange rate of $1 = N1,534. Transfers come with zero fees, meaning the sender is charged exactly $100, and the full amount is converted. The estimated arrival time for funds is between 3 to 5 minutes.
On the Google Play Store, LemFi has been downloaded over 1 million times, and customers have rated the app 3.0 out of 5.
LemFi is licensed by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) under RightCard Payment Services Ltd (a LemFi brand company).
