Remittances from expatriates in foreign economies to their home nations is an integral aspect of the global economy. Nigeria is ranked among the highest beneficiaries of international remittances. With millions of Nigerians living and working in foreign countries, they send money back home to support their loved ones and family using a variety of international money transfer channels. In this article, several ways to send money from Sierra Leone to Nigeria would be explained to enable you conveniently support your loved ones financially.
These are the ways to send money from Sierra Leone to Nigeria:
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Rapidtransfer
Rapidtransfer is an initiative of Ecobank that provides cross-border remittances within the 33 African markets where Ecobank operates. Sierra Leone is one of those African countries that are within the Ecobank network thus making the Rapidtransfer service available to people in Sierra Leone. The Rapidtransfer service is open to customers of Ecobank and non-Ecobank customers. So, as a resident of Sierra Leone, you could use Rapidtransfer to send money either by visiting an Ecobank branch or a Rapidtransfer branded agent location, or through the Rapidtransfer mobile application. The daily transfer limit with Rapidtransfer is $10,000 – in this case, the currency equivalent of Sierra Leonean Leone.
If you want to send money with Rapidtransfer in person, you will have to visit any of the branches of Ecobank or Rapidtransfer agents close to you. You will be required to complete a Rapidtransfer Send form. A recognized means of identification would be needed at the point of submission of the filled-out Send form with the applicable funds, including transaction fees. The recognized means of identification include the following but are not limited to National ID Card, International Passport, Driver’s Licence, and Voter’s card, among others. Immediately verification of your valid identification document is complete, the transaction is set up by the agent teller. A reference number of the transaction will be issued to you after the payment has been made.
Your recipient in Nigeria can receive the funds within the first 24 hours of transfer, of which a valid photo ID is required at any Ecobank branch or Rapidtransfer agent. A Receive form will be filled out by your recipient, and subsequently submitted to the teller. After verification of your recipient’s valid ID document, the teller will pay the money to the beneficiary of your financial remittance.
With smartphones running on Andriod version 5.0 or later and iOS version 8.0 or later systems connected to the internet, you can send money from Sierra Leone to Nigeria with the Rapidtransfer mobile application. But you have to first register with Rapidtransfer. The registration process requires that you provide details about yourself such as – surname, first name, date of birth, photo ID document, photo ID expiry date, and country of residence. A valid payment card (Visa or Mastercard only) from any bank in Sierra Leone.
The Rapidtransfer mobile application, equipped with the latest security features that protect sensitive information, can allow you to pay money directly into your recipient’s bank account – an Ecobank Current account, Savings account, Xpress account or other non-Ecobank accounts operating within Nigeria. You can only fund the transfer using a Visa or Mastercard belonging to an Ecobank or other banks operating within Sierra Leone. All charges are displayed for the customer before any transaction with the app can be authorised. The delivery time ranges from instant to 3 days after the transfer has been completed.
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AfriCash
AfriCash is an electronic money transfer service of the United Bank for Africa PLC that offers a fast and secure channel of sending money across Africa. The AfriCash payment system is non-restrictive as non-account holders with UBA, as well as account holders with the financial institution could use the service. Sierra Leone is one of the 20 countries where the United Bank for Africa has a subsidiary – UBA Sierra Leone Limited.
For you to send money with AfriCash, you must visit any UBA office or sub-agent locations near you. You will be given a Send Form by a teller to complete. A valid means of identification like a National ID Card, Driver’s Licence, International Passport, Current or Savings account with UBA, or Association’s ID will be required at the point of submission of the filled out form. The money can be deposited directly into your recipient’s bank account – UBA and other major banks in Nigeria, or through the cash collection service. For account transfer, the money is credited instantly into your recipient’s account. For the cash collection service option, a Transaction Receipt and Collection Pin Card would be issued to you after a cash collection service transfer. This pin code is what will be used by your beneficiary to collect the funds at any Ecobank branch in Nigeria.
The transfer limit with AfriCash is a maximum of $50,000 or the currency equivalent of Sierra Leonean Leone weekly.
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UBA MoneyGram
MoneyGram’s recognized agent partner in Sierra Leone is the United Bank for Africa Sierra Leone Limited. With UBA’s expansive branch network in Sierra Leone, the residents of this country can conveniently perform cross-border remittances to a bank account, mobile wallet, or cash pickup.
You will be required to provide important details about the transfer on a Send form. You will indicate the amount you intend to send, how you want to send it, and the recipient’s details. UBA uses a high-performance web-based application to process your transfer after you might have completed the form and provided the applicable fees (including transfer fees) and a valid means of identification. For direct account deposits, your receiver gets the money in minutes. The beneficiary will receive the payment in naira.
For the cash pickup option, your recipient will be required to visit any recognized MoneyGram agent location with a valid means of identification and the transfer details of the transaction. A Receive form will be required to be filled out and submitted with a valid ID to collect the funds. The recipient is paid instantly after verification, without any charge.