Paying Nigerian school fees from Canada: a step-by-step guide

Pay a school or university in Nigeria from Canada. Check the school's bank details, get the naira amount right, pay by Interac e-Transfer and keep proof.

Cowris team20 Oct 20265 min read

Sending soon? Check the CAD to NGN rate before you start.

Many parents, aunties, uncles and older siblings in Canada pay school fees for someone in Nigeria. The fee is in naira. Your money is in Canadian dollars. And the deadline does not move.

With Cowris, you send naira straight to the school's bank account in Nigeria and pay by Interac e-Transfer from your Canadian bank. This guide walks you through it, from the invoice to the proof of payment.

Check the numbers first: see what CA$1 buys in naira today.

Before you start: get these from the school

Collect these before you open the app. You will need each one.

The fee invoice or bill. It shows the amount in naira and the deadline.
The school's bank details. The bank name, the 10-digit account number and the account name.
The student's details. Full name, plus a class, form or matriculation number if the school uses one.

Ask the school one more question: can fees be paid by a direct bank transfer? Some schools only take fees through a payment portal, with their own reference code. Cowris pays into a Nigerian bank account. It cannot pay a portal reference. If the school only takes portal payments, ask them for an account you can transfer to instead.

Step 1: Check the school's bank details

This is the most important step. Fees are large amounts, and a wrong account is hard to undo.

Get the account details from a source you trust: a printed invoice, the school's portal or an official letter.
Be careful if you get a message saying the school's bank details have changed. Call the school first, on a number you already know, and check.
Write down the account name exactly as the school gives it. You will compare it in Step 4.

Step 2: Work out the amount in naira

The school's invoice is in naira. So start from what the school must receive.

Open the app and type an amount in Canadian dollars. The app shows "They get" in naira. Change the amount you send until "They get" is at least the fee on the invoice.

Two tips:

"They get" is cut down to the kobo, never rounded up. Check that it covers the invoice in full.
The quote holds the rate for a set time, shown under the quote. If you stop and come back later, the rate may have changed. Check "They get" again before you pay.

There are zero fees, so what you pay is the full cost. To understand each line of the quote, read how to read the CAD to NGN rate.

Step 3: Make sure your account is ready

If this is your first transfer, verify your identity in the app first. It takes about 3 minutes, and you do it once.

Pay from a Canadian bank account in your own name. A payment from someone else's account can be held for a check, and that delays your transfer.

Step 4: Add the school as your recipient

Add a new recipient. Choose the school's bank from the list and type its 10-digit account number.

The app looks up the name on the account and shows it to you. Compare it with the account name the school gave you. If it is not the school's name, stop. Do not continue until the school confirms the details.

The app has a note field. Use it for your own records, for example "Ada Obi, JSS2, first term fees". Save the school as a recipient if you will pay it again next term.

Step 5: Pay by Interac e-Transfer

Choose Pay by Interac e-Transfer. The app shows our email, the exact amount and a short message code. In your bank app:

Send an Interac e-Transfer to the email shown.
Send exactly the amount shown.
Paste the message code into the e-Transfer message.
If the app shows a security answer, use it exactly.

Then go back to the app and tap I've sent it.

New to this? Our Interac e-Transfer guide covers each detail and the mistakes to avoid.

Step 6: Keep proof and tell the school

The app shows each step of the transfer until the money arrives. When it is complete, open the transfer and tap View receipt. Save it or share it.

Then send the receipt to the school's bursary or accounts office. Add the student's full name and class, and ask the school to confirm they received the fees. Keep their reply with the receipt.

Plan around the deadline

We do not promise a delivery time on this route, and you should not wait for the last day. Pay well before the deadline. That leaves time to fix a problem, such as a wrong account, without the student missing class.

If the time to pay runs out after you sent the e-Transfer, tap "I've sent it" anyway. We keep watching for your payment.

Paying for more than one child

Send one transfer for each invoice, even when two children attend the same school. One transfer per invoice gives you one receipt per invoice. It makes it easy for the school, and for you, to match each payment to a student.

If something goes wrong

You can cancel a transfer before you pay. Do not cancel after you have sent the money. Email help@cowris.com instead, with your transfer reference.

If we cannot complete a transfer, we refund it to your Cowris wallet. From there you can send again, for example to corrected school details, or withdraw the money.

Paying a school in Canada from Nigeria?

That is a different payment. You pay in naira from Nigeria, and the school in Canada gets Canadian dollars. That is not in the app right now. See school fees and bills for what is available.

Quick answers

Do I pay a fee to Cowris? No. We charge zero fees on every route.

Can I pay from my computer? Yes. Go to send.cowris.com. You still pay by Interac e-Transfer.

Can I pay the school from my Cowris wallet? Yes, if you have Canadian dollars in your wallet.

What if the school says it did not receive the money? Open the transfer in the app and check its status. Send the school your receipt. If the transfer shows as complete and the school still cannot find it, email help@cowris.com with your transfer reference.

Ready? Check the rate, then get the app.