Money and Cards in Lekki: What Actually Works
Naira notes and a card terminal on a wooden counter
Bring a Visa or Mastercard and about 100 US dollars in cash for your first day, and you’ll be fine.
Cards, ATMs and mobile payments
Visa and Mastercard work at essentially every hotel, mid-range restaurant, supermarket and mall in Lekki. Amex is spotty — Radisson Blu Anchorage and a few high-end restaurants take it, but don’t rely on it. ATMs from GTBank, Zenith, Access and UBA are dotted along Admiralty Way, at Circle Mall and inside every filling station, with a per-transaction limit of 20,000 naira and daily limits around 100,000-150,000 for foreign cards.
Contactless works at Shoprite, most Spar branches and newer restaurants, but many terminals still ask for a chip-and-PIN. Set up a PIN before you fly. Mobile transfers via Opay, PalmPay or bank apps dominate local payments, but you can’t easily use them without a Nigerian bank account, so cash and cards remain your realistic options.
Currency exchange and USD
The naira has been volatile — the official rate hovers around 1,500-1,600 to the dollar in 2026, and the parallel market rate is broadly similar since the 2023 reforms merged windows. Change money at licensed BDCs in Victoria Island (Adeola Odeku has several) or at your hotel front desk. Avoid street changers and never change money at the airport, where rates are 10-15% worse.
Bring clean, unfolded 100 USD notes printed after 2013 — older or damaged notes get rejected or heavily discounted. Small dollar bills fetch worse rates than hundreds. Keep receipts if you change more than 1,000 USD, as you may need them to reconvert leftover naira at the airport on the way out.
Before you book
What people ask before booking Victoria Island.
Apple Pay and Google Pay work anywhere contactless is accepted, which is most modern outlets in Lekki Phase 1, Victoria Island and Ikate but almost nowhere at markets or roadside vendors.
About 20,000-30,000 naira in mixed notes covers taxis, tips, roadside snacks and small purchases. Everything bigger goes on card.
