Working with US, UK, or European clients is lucrative. But getting paid as a Nigerian freelancer is harder than it should be. Here's the complete guide.
You invoice in dollars. Your client pays in dollars. But the money needs to land somewhere you can actually use it.
Bank-to-bank international transfers to Nigerian accounts are slow (3-5 days), expensive (fees on both sides), and come in at bad exchange rates.
Nigerian freelancers now have access to dollar accounts through fintech platforms:
Grey (grey.co) — Create a USD account with US routing number and account number. Receive wire transfers like a US bank account. Convert to Naira at competitive rates.
Raenest (raenest.com) — Similar to Grey. USD, GBP, and EUR accounts. Popular with Nigerian developers and designers working with foreign clients.
Payoneer — The OG solution. Still works well for platforms like Upwork, Fiverr, and Toptal.
1. Create a new invoice in Soloist
2. Select USD as the currency
3. Your invoice will show your Grey/Raenest payment link instead of Paystack
4. Client clicks the link and pays in dollars
5. Money lands in your dollar account within 1-2 business days
In 2026, the official rate is around ₦1,600/$1. Grey and Raenest typically offer rates within 1-2% of the parallel market rate.
A $1,000 invoice = approximately ₦1,580,000 after conversion. Compare that to a ₦1,000 invoice from a local client.